Chapter 1 - Discovering Divine Presence

Awakening to the still small voice within. This chapter provides an introduction to a point of view in
which Divine Presence is the centerpiece around which all of life revolves.

All too often we pretend that life revolves around us, but such an ego-centric viewpoint leads us
into unnecessary pain and suffering. Simply changing our point of view can bring great peace,
ease and joy into our lives.
Adrift in the World
Humanity is facing a crisis, with so many aimlessly adrift in a sea of unrest, selfishness and
hostility, growing ever-increasingly discontent with life. All around us, people are longing for
something better, a better way to live, greater happiness, lasting peace and a more fulfilling life.

As many as 96% of the world-wide population claim to believe in some sort of "Higher Power",
"Source" or "Creator", yet all around the world, millions suffer from an unfulfilled inner longing,
experiencing some vague sense of dissatisfaction which leads them to restlessly search for
"something more".

Wealth, prestige, power and possessions cannot satisfy the inherent inner longing which we all
have. And, it is not enough to merely believe that there is some sort of Higher Power or Creative
Principle out "there" somewhere. In order to find that which we are longing for, we must recognize
and honor the inner life in every aspect of our on-going daily life, thereby reuniting our physical life
with our spiritual life, reuniting the outer and the inner, reuniting the body and the soul.

In a life centered on worldly matters, the body and soul have no common purpose, no harmony.
Our minds have become so intensely focused on worldly concerns that we may even begin to feel
that we are separate and independent, which leaves our soul forsaken, unfulfilled, longing for a
greater role and more fulfilling experience in life.

We need both the body and the soul, but there will be no true peace or satisfaction until the soul is
allowed to be the inspiration for all that the body does, and the body becomes merely the soul's
instrument for the direct experience of love, harmony and beauty in this world.

When we neglect, or ignore, the deep longing of the soul for direct experiences of love, harmony
and beauty, then the ego will wander off doing whatever it chooses, leaving us without any
enduring peace or satisfaction. To find the enduring peace, satisfaction and joy which are our
birthright, the body must act in harmony with the inspiration, longing and inner guidance of the
soul.

All too often we have developed the unfortunate habit of following the endless chatter of the mind,
rather than following the inner voice of our True Nature. In doing so, we have lost the harmonious
connection between body and soul. To attain the fullness of life which we are longing for, we must
consciously follow the longing, guidance and inspiration of the still small voice within, and
harmoniously re-unite body and soul in the direct experience of love, harmony and beauty here
and now.

Our dissatisfaction with life is ultimately due to a lack of understanding of our own true nature. To
begin to discover our true nature, we simply need to change our own point of view. We have
already been given everything that we need for happiness, and every breath that we breathe
should be a glorious reminder of the spark of Divine Presence, our True Nature, which resides in
the depth of the heart. We simply need to turn within, and live life from the inside out.

In the calm pure depths of one's own heart there is a fountain of truth, love and understanding, a
wondrous flow of supreme guidance which is far greater than anything that the logical, rational
mind has to offer. Only the heart can understand that which the head has been overlooking.
Our dissatisfaction with life clearly shows that we have lost our awareness of our own true nature.
We live in the midst of what outwardly appears to be separation and individuality, but in reality all
that exists is only the exquisite Presence of the One who is seen in myriad forms. Through our
common human heritage of the gift of our True Nature, the essential oneness of all that exists, we
are all inter-related. Our own happiness is inextricably intertwined with the happiness of others. To
find our own happiness, we must strive to help others be happy too.

In response to the question "What is the soul?", the Prophet Muhammad was inspired to say: "It is
an activity of God". Isn't that a beautiful thought? We're each a unique "activity of God", intended to
be instruments of the Divine Presence in this world, fulfilling the soul's longing to experience love,
harmony and beauty in every situation. What the ego wants is really not very important in the grand
scheme of things. What is important is that we learn to serve our true nature, bringing the Love of
our True Nature into this world, each in our own unique manner, and enjoying the calm abiding
inner peace and joy which are one's birthright.

To find the life-satisfaction which is our birthright, we must harmonize the abilities of the body and
the soul. We need them both, but we need to engage the useful attributes of both body and soul in
a harmonious manner, allowing the soul to guide and inspire the activity of the body toward
experiences of love, harmony and beauty.

Amazingly, no matter how far we may stray, no matter how many errors we may make, no matter
what has happened in the past, the still small voice within is ever-ready to guide and empower us,
if only we will take the time and effort to listen and accept its gifts.

In these chapters, this inner fountain of ultimate truth, this inner flow of supreme guidance, will
simply be called True Nature or Divine Presence, but please don't be distracted or confused by any
particular name. The word "Divine" is not used here in a theistic sense, but rather is used to
emphasize that this calm abiding peaceful presence which is found deep within the heart of every
person, is something which defies simple description. Within each person is a brilliantly radiant
inner source of beautiful traits such as loving-kindness, generosity, patience, joy and compassion.
Indeed, your True Nature is a spark of the Divine. Perhaps you may choose to think of it as Truth,
Grace, Inner Beauty, Sat Nam, Buddha-Nature, Ruh, the Spirit of Guidance, Ruach, Atman, or
Holy Spirit... all these words are merely metaphors which help us to focus our attention toward
something much greater than "I", "me" or "mine"; our inner life, our spiritual life, our True Nature.

For enduring happiness and satisfaction in this life we must focus our attention upon the inner life,
realize our own True Nature, and find a way to allow that still small voice within to guide our
thoughts and actions in every moment, in every situation.

The Calm Depths

Beneath the ever-changing waves and turbulent surface of the ocean, there is an abiding peaceful
calm which permeates the depths and supports the weight of the turbulent surface. Similarly, each
human being has a turbulent ego-driven surface, and the calm abiding peace of Divine Presence
deep within. We need both the surface and the depths, yet we need to allow the burden of life’s
turbulence to be supported and nourished by the calm depths of our True Nature.

When one lives primarily on the worldly surface (the domain of the ego), life seems to be a source
of great suffering due to the turbulence and commotion caused by the ego. But when one
balances the turbulence of the worldly surface with time spent calmly abiding in the peaceful
depths of the heart (the domain of Divine Presence), all of life is filled with the profound peace and
utter tranquility of our True Nature.

Life is not about "you" or "me". That is, life is not about the little self, the ego, which most people
mistakenly identify as "me". In truth, life is about the unfolding, blooming, and free expression of
the true Self, allowing our True Nature to express itself as an endless outpouring of Loving-
Kindness in the midst of daily life.
Life is love and the activity of love.

Divine Presence brings into one’s life the greatest, noblest and most sublime experiences. It is an
inner source which provides perfect guidance and perfect peace. Divine Presence is our ultimate
connection to the guidance and perfection of the All-Mighty One.

Learning to recognize and appreciate the difference between the turbulent surface of the ego and
the calm depths of True Nature in one's own life is often called awakening, and is truly a pivotal
point in one's spiritual evolution. We must learn to recognize the activity of the ego, only then it is
possible to begin to rise above the self-centered activities of the ego and allow the soul to fill its
cup with direct experiences of love, harmony and beauty.

People say that what we're all seeking is a meaning for life. I think that what we're seeking is an
experience of being alive, so that our life experiences on the purely physical plane will have
resonances within our own innermost being and reality, so that we actually feel the rapture of being
alive.

The little self, the ego, can be a formidable veil between the worldly realm and the spiritual realm,
which is to say, between the body and the soul. In those who are excessively preoccupied with, or
attached to, the self-centered concerns of the ego, the ego becomes an obstruction, or veil,
between body and soul, causing our True Nature to be obscured. As soon as the obstruction is
removed, the Divine Presence begins to flow more freely into all aspects of one's worldly life,
bringing love, harmony and beauty to every situation and providing the soul with that nourishment
and experience for which it longs so deeply.

There are two fundamental steps which are necessary in order to move toward a life of harmony
with your True Nature. Each of these steps is greatly facilitated by spiritual practices, such as
meditation and enjoying the wonders of nature:

1) Rise Above the Ego: Rise above any excessive preoccupation, attachment, or identification with
any self-centered thoughts or concerns of the ego.

2) Abide in Calm Awareness: Strive to live in a continuous state of calm awareness wherein the still
small voice within, the Divine Presence, can be clearly perceived and followed in the present
moment, thereby bringing love, harmony and beauty into every situation.

To experience the divine union of body and soul, leading to lasting peace and happiness, one must
rise above excessive preoccupation with the never-satisfied, self-centered, divisive ego and aspire
to embody the tranquil, ever-present, all-inclusive Divine Presence.
Only the word "I"
separates me from God.

Student: Sir, if one gave up the I, nothing whatsoever would remain.

Ramakrishna: I am not asking you to give up all of the I. you should give up only the "unripe I." the
"unripe I" makes one feel: "I am the doer. these are my wife and children. I am a teacher."
Renounce this "unripe I" and keep the "ripe I" which will make you feel that you are God's servant,
his devotee, and that God is the doer and you are His instrument.

Sri Ramakrishna
Finding Purpose
The true purpose of your life is the conscious and free expression of the Divine Presence in the
unique manner by which you, and only you, are divinely empowered to bring the love, harmony
and beauty of Divine Presence into this world. That is your True Nature.

God is within you; you are His instrument, and through you He expresses Himself to the external
world.

Now when he was asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, he answered
them and said, "The kingdom of God does not come with observation; nor will they say, 'See here!'
or 'See there!' For indeed, the kingdom of God is within you."

Gospel of Luke 17:20-21

When the wind blows, we cannot see the wind, yet we know of its presence and its movement by
the visible signs such as ripples on the water and leaves blowing about. Similarly, the still small
voice within is the ultimate comforter and nourisher, one who is unseen, yet who is known by the
visible signs and revealed gifts.

If ye love me, keep my commandments. And I will pray to the Father, and he shall give you another
Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever; Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot
receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you,
and shall be in you.

Gospel of John, 14:15-17

Living in harmony with Divine Presence does not mean that we should ignore the inspired dreams
and selfless desires which can bring well-being into the world, but rather that we should fuel those
dreams and desires with Divine Presence, not personal attachment.

This profound change of focus, from self-centered to selfless, does not mean that we should reject
progress such as personal improvement, or scientific achievements, but rather that we should
pursue such progress empowered by Divine Presence, realizing that our greatest potential will be
realized when we are in harmony with, and acting as an instrument of, the Divine Presence.

Awakening to Divine Presence, the Still Small Voice Within

The foremost obstacle to one's own lasting happiness is the belief that true happiness is
dependent upon fulfilling some worldly desire. For example, in seeking happiness some may
accumulate material possessions, or strive for power, or pursue fame, or hunger for certain
relationships, or blindly submit to man-made authority. However, true happiness is only found while
following the guidance of the still small voice within; the Divine Presence, our True Nature.

Blinded by craving ... fool that I am, I desire the cause of suffering. When suffering emerges due to
my own fault, why should I be angry with anyone else?

Shantideva, tr by Vesna and B. Alan Wallace

In the midst of our suffering, we often try to put the blame on someone else. But in fact, our
suffering is no one else’s fault, it is the result of our own incorrect view of life. In fact, the life that
we are leading is the cause of our suffering.

True happiness, enduring happiness, is not found by chasing after or clinging to anything in this
world. True happiness is only found when one rises above desire, above resistance, above clinging
attachments, and arrives in a state of acceptance and harmony with what is.

There is nothing wrong with progress and advancement, they are natural and desirable. But all too
often we charge headlong after our goals without the inspiration or guidance of the Divine
Presence within. We need to be in this world, yet we must never forget that spiritually we are not of
this world.

Many of the most troublesome difficulties in life arise when we either resist the situation or
stubbornly cling to our worldly desires, thoughts and attachments, forsaking the inspiration and
guidance of the still small voice within, thereby causing immense suffering for ourselves and for
others.

Although we certainly need to participate day-by-day in this ephemeral physical realm, the greatest
of strength, guidance and happiness can only arise from our conscious connection to the eternal
spiritual realm. We are in this world, but not of this world.

I am eating the bread of this world,

and doing the work of that world.

Rabi’a al’Adawiyya

The challenge for those who are ready to awaken from their routine of daily dissatisfaction and
unsettled slumber in this world, is to rise above the primitive reptilian brain, rise above the animal
self, rise above all such divisive layers of self-deception, and awaken to the realization of the True
Nature within, which is all that truly matters.

It is not very important to distinguish between two opposites. What is most important is to
recognize that One which is hiding behind it all... seeing One in all things, in all beings.

The Smiling Forehead, Hazrat Inayat Khan

Some may call it rising above, others may call it diving into the depths, yet regardless of the
metaphor, such awakening to the Divine Presence leads to a magnificent new viewpoint wherein
all of life is consciously arising from One Life, and wherein all that we see in this world is
inextricably intertwined because there is truly but One Life manifesting as many.

How can one explain spiritual progress? What is it? What is it like? Spiritual progress is the
changing of the point of view.

Sufi Mysticism, Inner Study, Hazrat Inayat Khan

Claiming Your Spiritual Birthright

All too often, mankind today is discontentedly languishing in a confused state of not knowing how
to find happiness, mistakenly relying upon external stimuli, chasing after worldly wealth, and
personal status. Such dependence upon external conditions and external stimuli is the most
immediate challenge facing mankind today.

True happiness and a sense of great purpose in life are only found deep within, yet the outside
voices such as advertisers, bosses and government all expect (and often demand) that we become
unaware, little more than mindless automatons, easily led from task to task, job to job, store to
store, war to war, by their self-centered agenda.

Surely it was bad enough when there was merely a church or religious group trying to demand our
subservience, but today our employers, the mass media, advertisers, and governments all strive to
stifle our True Nature in order to replace one’s own inner guidance with blind obedience to their
self-serving dictums.

Throughout history, whenever the social order has begun to flounder, the great mystics and
prophets have all tried to chart a better course for mankind, a path of individual righteousness
arising from individual communion with the Real, the Divine Presence within. Those great mystics
have all heard the still small voice within, a "knowing" which arises from the utterly silent depths of
the heart, and so too must we learn to hear that same profound inner guidance if we are to evolve
beyond mere animal behavior and awaken to our true potential.

Your purpose on earth is to embody and manifest the Divine Presence in your own unique manner
of expression, bringing love, harmony and beauty into the world in your own way, directly
experiencing the wonder of being alive. Each and every person is a unique creation, imbued with
certain specific potentials which are available to ripen, blossom and flower in their own time and in
their own manner.

Such divinely inspired blossoming and flowering in life is your birthright, yet more and more we are
duped by advertisers, governments, employers, and even friends into believing that our happiness
depends upon on satisfying the external demands of the world, when in fact the greatest happiness
can only be found by turning within, discovering the still small voice of the Spirit of Guidance which
re-unites body and soul. And then, armed with that new-found footing upon which to stand, with
body and soul acting in harmony, re-emerging into the midst of daily life with every step and every
thought empowered by guidance from that still small voice of our True Nature, the Spirit of
Guidance, the Divine Presence within, allowing the Inner Light to inspire the activity of the body
with beneficent attributes such as loving-kindness, harmony and beauty.

Summary

The intent of this chapter has been to describe the goal in a variety of different ways, in order to
make the goal clear and comprehensible. That is, to find the happiness and satisfaction which we
long for, we must each manifest the Inner Light in our own unique manner, bringing love, harmony
and beauty into the world in our own unique way, with the beneficent beauty of the heart guiding
and informing every thought and action.

Now, with the goal now clearly in sight, the following chapters offer a variety of ideas, tools and
encouragement to help harmonize and re-unite head and heart, body and soul, empowering you to
fully embody your own true purpose in life: acting in every moment as an instrument of the Divine
Presence, filling the inner reservoir of the soul with your own personal experiences of love,
harmony and beauty, and losing your "self" in loving-kindness, gratitude and awe.

Chapter 2 - Making Room for Divine Presence

An overview of the self-centered ego, the primary obstruction to our True Nature. A look into some
troublesome aspects of the self-centered ego, as well as pain and suffering, all of which can be
significant obstructions to our enjoyment and manifestation of Divine Presence.
Limitations of the Ego
The ego, the little self, is an aspect of our nervous system which is excellent at protecting this
sacred temple which we call the human body. However, one's life easily goes astray when one
learns to rely too heavily upon the ego, rather than primarily relying upon the inner guidance of that
still small voice of Divine Presence which resides in the depths of one's own heart.

We all have a deep inner need to revel in the wonders of love, harmony and beauty, enjoying the
direct experience of the Divine Presence, yet we are easily sidetracked by the ego into focusing
undue attention on worldly matters, especially the endless self-centered chatter of our ego.

Around the age of two, when it is time to begin to learn the requisite skills for a life not dependent
upon the constant attention of a caregiver, we each develop a sense of self and a contrasting
sense of other. Unfortunately, without suitable spiritual guidance during this early developmental
stage, many of us develop such a powerfully self-centered ego that there is little or no room in our
life for our own True Nature.

Psychologists often define ego as that part of the mind which experiences the outside world and
reacts to it. The ego is very valuable for nourishing, maintaining and protecting the human body,
which is what it was created to do. We need to eat. We need to attend to bodily functions. We need
to protect the body from harmful conditions. We are indeed blessed that the ego is so marvelously
designed to monitor and coordinate all of those activities which are wonderful and appropriate
functions for the ego.

Indeed, the ego's definition of a boundary for the self can be very useful, and can help us to learn
valuable lessons such as not to stick our hands into the fire, or not to drop anything heavy on our
foot. Learning from the past can help us to avoid doing what was harmful in the past, and the ability
of the ego to watch for, and avoid, situations which could cause harm to the body is, ideally, quite
beneficial.

However, when we become preoccupied with the chatter of the ego, and forget about the wonders
of Divine Presence which continually flow in the calm pure depths of the heart, life becomes
increasingly difficult.

Many different methods have been created to analyze various aspects of the ego, and a wide
variety of models have been offered to depict the components of the ego, but for the purposes of
this spiritual work, all that we really need to recognize is the nature of the results which the activity
of the ego is bringing into our daily life. That is, one can learn to recognize what needs to be
changed by observing the results of the ego's activity. As the old saying goes: "If you keep doing
what you're doing, you'll keep getting what you're getting."

The ego is very useful, and is a part of the grand plan for humanity. However, when the ego grows
too dominant and we become so occupied with the self-centered aspects of the ego that those
thoughts eclipse our attention to the Divine Presence, then life is out of balance, and such an
unbalanced ego will inevitably cause great suffering.

When the ego is relied upon to help maintain health and safety of the body, that's a good thing. But
when the ego and its incessant drama and rambling chatter begins to dominate one's life, then the
ego restricts one's ability to participate in the present moment by veiling our True Nature, thereby
causing daily life to become difficult and troubling. Life should be filled with awesome wonder and
delight, not undue struggle.

The Ego as an Entity

When examining the effects of the ego, it is often useful to consider the ego as a potentially
troublesome independent entity, an entity which comes along whether we want it or not. This ego
entity, which we have not deliberately invited, has full access to the resources of the conscious
mind as well as a very strong influence on the amazingly powerful sub-conscious mind.
The ego, through cunning use of both the conscious and sub-conscious aspects of the nervous
system, can bring into fruition a wide variety of situations. For example, If one's thoughts are calm,
peaceful and loving, then the ego entity will use its conscious and sub-conscious resources to help
to bring more calm, peace and love into one's life. Or, on the other hand, if one's thoughts revolve
around worry, anger or hostility, then the ego entity will do everything in its considerable power to
help to bring more worry, anger and hostility into your life.

Additionally, the often invisible workings of the ego can exert great affects on a wide variety of
bodily functions including the immune system, endocrine system, digestive system, lungs and
heart. In fact, the sub-conscious mind is so amazingly powerful that it can affect virtually every
organ and chemical in the body, either positively or negatively, depending upon one's own
thoughts.

In order to keep the ego under control, it is necessary to keep watch over the ego's activity with
sincere dedication to one's highest ideals, a somewhat detached viewpoint, and a good sense of
humor. The troublesome aspects of the ego can be a bit like an errant child, whose odd ways we
may never fully understand, but whose cleverness and penchant for creating mischief need to be
reckoned with through discipline, respect, wisdom and humor.

Keep an eye on that pesky ego, never forgetting how easily and rapidly it can run astray whenever
the mind is not being consistently guided and nourished by the love, harmony and beauty of your
own True Nature.

The Need to Rise Above the Ego

The purpose of one's life is to be a conscious instrument of the Divine Presence. However, when
one is too preoccupied with the chatter and drama of the ego, then life's purpose will remain
obscured. In order to live consciously in harmony with one's True Nature in every moment, one
must find ways to rise above excessive preoccupation with the ego.

In order to prepare for the gift of enduring happiness, the first step is to wash off the mud and
grime of self-centered ego, allowing the vibrant hues of Divine Presence to shine forth freely.

It is like someone trying to apply colorful dye to a garment covered with mud. You cannot dye it
with colors until you first clean off the mud, for otherwise the colorful dyes will not stay on, but will
drop off in a matter of moments.

Sefer haYashar, Rabbeinu Ta'm

There is unimaginable beauty and wonder awaiting, if only we will allow it into our own life. But, all
too often we are already so stuffed full of our old opinions, preferences and attachments that we
have no room for Divine Presence. We must strive to be empty, only then can we be filled with the
beauty which we long for.

Basically, we just need to allow the rambling chatter and self-indulgent drama of the pesky ego to
fall away, and then the Divine Presence will begin to flow naturally.

We are lutes, no more, no less. If the soundbox

is stuffed full of anything, no music.

Illuminated Rumi, tr by Coleman Barks

Go sweep out the chamber of your heart,

make it ready to be the dwelling place of the Beloved,
when you depart, He will enter,
in you, void of yourself, will He display His beauties.
Mystic Rose Garden, Mahmud Shabistari, tr E.H. Whinfield

The Soul as a Verb

The human intellect often tries to imagine that "soul" is a noun. That is, we try to imagine that the
word “soul” is the name of some established "thing".

But alas, such a thought is quite misleading. The word "soul" might be more accurately thought of
as a verb, an on-going process or activity of God.

When the Prophet was asked, 'What is the soul?' He answered in two words, Amr-i Allah, which
means 'an activity of God.'

Spiritual Liberty, Hazrat Inayat Khan

So, armed with this thought that the soul is an on-going activity of God, we begin to understand
that the soul is a active manifestation of our True Nature, and that it is an on-going process.

Our task in life is to strive to remove whatever veil, rust or other sort of covering is preventing the
free flow of this process, the free flow of Divine Light through this little window called "me".

To truly enjoy and be engaged in life, we must allow the focus of our attention to shift away from
our customary preoccupation with the concerns of "I", "me" and "mine", and focus our attention on
the wonders of the All-pervading Light, allowing ourselves to be willing and capable instruments of
the Divine Presence, in every situation, in every moment.

Pain
For anyone with more than “normal” day-to-day struggle and pain, the process of regaining control
from the on-going mental processes of the ego may require some additional preparation and
support. In order to pursue the deep cleansing which is required to rise beyond the chatter of the
self-centered ego, one must be able to concentrate intensely on the work at hand.

Some people say: “I must get rid of this pain before I can make changes in my life.” But, in fact the
opposite is often true, and it may actually be necessary to make major changes in one’s life before
the cause of the pain can be fully relieved.

Pain eventually compels human beings to wonder: "Is a cause-effect principle operating in my life?
Are my troubles caused by my wrong thinking?"

Paramahansa Yogananda, Sayings of Yogananda, 1952, p52

Many of our most troublesome problems in life are actually caused by our own viewpoint. There
are, in every moment of every day, wonderful gifts being offered to every person, but without the
appropriate point of view, the wondrous gifts cannot be realized. If you want to have changes in
your life, then you may need make some changes in yourself, and the greatest of these changes
will be a new point of view.

Unfortunately, it is quite common to excessively identify with the body, imagining "I am this body", "I
am having pain", "I am troubled". But alas that is not true! Much the same as you would not say "I
am this shirt", you must remember that you are not the body, and you are merely "wearing" this
body for a while. From such a point of view, it is more correct, and much more useful, to simply say
"There is a body", "There is pain" or "There is something troubling". Yes, those things are really
happening, but they are only happening to the body, not to you, because the true “you” is not the
body.

To rise above the suffering in life, we must see from a new point of view. We must engage life with
an awareness of our True Nature, viewing the body a vehicle for our life experiences, empowered
by the Inner Light of the Spirit of Guidance. If only we will permit ourselves to see from this
viewpoint, then all of life is transformed. Yes, the body may have some pain. Yes, the body may
have some troubles. But that cannot stop us from enjoying our life on earth as instruments of
Divine Presence... unless we allow it to.

If you’re suffering severe emotional problems or severe bodily pain, you may need to seek
competent psychiatric and/or medical help in parallel with your own inner work, so that you will be
able to successfully quiet the mind and enter into intensely focused concentration. That is, if the
pain is too severe for you to achieve quietude and highly focused concentration, then you’ll need
to seek additional help to ameliorate the pain while you begin to make the changes which will
harmonize your body and soul in the light of Divine Presence.

Before any spiritual light from the innermost recesses of our being can break through into the
realms of our mind, much has to be accomplished. Impurities have to be removed, distortions have
to be straightened out, the vehicles have to be harmonized. It is only in such a prepared mind,
freed from these ordinary defects, that the light of higher knowledge can manifest. But when this
light of knowledge does appear, the sadhaka [worshiper] has lit his own lamp and in the light shed
by this lamp can tread steadily the path which leads ultimately to Self Realization. But the
preparatory work must be done before this spiritual light can appear...

I.K. Taimni, Gāyatrī, Theosophical Publishing House, Adyar, 1998, p29-30

... a person needs to be whole to take the journey. The point of this is to get your basic self in tune
with your higher self. We are talking here about wounded psyches, fractured consciousness and
dysfunction. Without addressing these issues, a person can become quite advanced in many
ways, and yet at a certain point find it necessary to self-destruct because she/he has not made a
true accommodation in her/himself to sustain realization. Many of us started on the path even
sneering at the psychological aspect of things, but had to go back to do such things as address our
inner child, align the three selves, do a 12 step program, or some form of individual or group
therapy.

Wali Ali Meyer, Sufi Ruhaniat Mureed’s Manual, 2005, p77

Once the pain has been attended to, the first task is to begin to put an end to the rambling chatter
and self-indulgent drama of the pesky ego. When the ego’s chatter is under control, the gifts of
your True Nature will begin to flow naturally.

Suffering
We all encounter some kind of pain in the course of our life, but we do not necessarily need to
suffer. There is a difference between pain and suffering. Pain is a response of the body’s nervous
system, while suffering is our resultant reaction to the situation. Suffering occurs when we resist
“what is”. As one reduces the resistance to “what is”, so too the suffering is diminished.

Remember, it is not “my pain”, it is just “the pain”. Yes the pain is real, the body is sensing that
something needs attention, but suffering is not necessary. None of us want to have pain, but when
it arises, what shall we do? With practice and intention, one can learn to reduce or entirely
eliminate suffering, regardless of the pain. It is not always easy to rise above the influence of the
pain, but the rewards are well worth the effort.

The Stress Response

Another reason to keep the pesky ego under control, and fully accept whatever has already
happened, is that the ego's unpleasant dramas, reactive episodes and rambling chatter will cause
the body's stress response to dump toxic quantities of stress hormones, such as adrenaline and
glucocorticoids, into the blood stream even though there is no external life-threatening situation.
The stress hormones are designed to shut down a wide variety of the body's systems in order to
focus all available energy on a suitable response to a sudden emergency. However, with repeated
long-term exposure to stress, the toxic brew of stress hormones can impair, damage or even
destroy a wide variety of bodily systems including the immune system, reproductive system, tissue
repair, hormonal balance, and brain chemistry, resulting in a variety of serious side effects such as
predisposition to illness, chromosome damage, atherosclerosis, diabetes, memory loss, and even
a profound inability to experience pleasure or to enjoy life.

It has also been shown that the toxic effects of stress can even be passed on to an unborn child in
the womb, leaving imprints which create a long-term predisposition toward experiencing stress.

In order to free ourselves from the burden of self-inflicted stress, and thereby create a calm, aware
state of mind wherein we can enjoy life and fully appreciate the love, harmony and beauty of our
True Nature, we need to find relief from the ego's unpleasant dramas, reactive episodes and
rambling chatter. To help reduce stress, acceptance and faith are key. We need to live in
acceptance of the present moment, with acceptance of “what is”, armed with faith that our True
Nature, illuminated by the Light of Divine Presence, is the best foundation upon which to base
every moment of our life.

The Healthy Ego

The healthy ego is founded upon the calm, peaceful, loving radiance of our own True Nature, and
brings those qualities into every moment of one's life.

In the unhealthy ego, the undisciplined chatter and incessant rambling keep the mind so
preoccupied with self-created noise that the still small voice of Divine Presence cannot even be
heard. Therein lies the problem! We need to find a way to harmonize the ego with the gifts of
Divine Presence. We need the ego, but we don't need to be dominated by its drama and chatter.

The healthy ego will calmly observe all that occurs in one's life without any great drama or undue
chatter, and then it will help to skillfully and mindfully take meaningful and appropriate action.

Suppose a person goes on a bicycle in the streets of Paris and says, 'I shall go straight on,
because my object is just to keep the line I have taken. If a car comes my way, I shall not mind it, I
shall just go on.' This person will come against something which is more powerful than he, and he
will destroy himself. The wise cyclist, therefore, will see that there is a vehicle before him, or that
the road is blocked: he will take another way. At the time it is just a little hindrance, yet that
resignation makes him safe from disaster and gives him a chance to strike another line by which
he will come to the same destination.

The Art of Being, Hazrat Inayat Khan

It's all too easy for the ego to get out of control. For example, when the ego is not being inspired by
the light of one's True Nature, the mind may wander off-course with incessant churning and
chattering, fostering all sorts of unnecessary worries, anxieties and problems which lead one (and
perhaps also others) into great suffering.

When the self says, 'O no, I must not be treated like this,' then we say, 'What does it matter?' When
the self says, 'He ought to have done this, she ought to have said that,' we say, 'What does it
matter, either this way or that way? Every person is what he is; you cannot change him, but you
can change yourself.'

In an Eastern Rose Garden, Hazrat Inayat Khan

Know Thyself
Everything which is truly worthwhile and enduring arises from our True Nature; nothing other than
the Divine Presence really matters, nothing else is enduring, and nothing else can bring such
wonders of love, harmony and beauty into one's daily life.

Give up to thy soul-----

Let it have its way-----
It is, I tell thee, God himself,
The selfsame One that rules the Whole,
Tho’ he speaks thro’ thee with a stifled voice,
And looks through thee, shorn of his beams.
But if thou listen to his voice,
If thou obey the royal thought,
It will grow clearer to thine ear,
More glorious to thine eye.
The clouds will burst that veil him now
And thou shalt see the Lord.

Gnothi Seauton, Ralph Waldo Emerson

There is One Truth, the true knowledge of our being (within and without), which is the essence of
all wisdom. Hazrat Ali says, 'Know thyself, and thou shalt know God.' It is the knowledge of self
which blooms into the knowledge of God.

The Way of Illumination, Hazrat Inayat Khan

This life is a grand journey in which we can choose to experience heaven or hell... hell if we remain
isolated from Divine Presence, or heaven when we are conscious instruments of Divine Presence.

There are two selves, the separate ego

and the indivisible Atman [Divine Presence].
When one rises above I and me and mine,
the Atman is revealed as one's real Self.

Katha Upanishad 3:13, tr Eknath Easwaran

There is only one virtue

and only one sin for a soul on this path:
Virtue when he is conscious of God,
and sin when he is not.

Abu Hashim Madani

The Self is everywhere,

within all things, although we see it not.
There is nothing that does not come from it,
of everything it is the inmost Self.
It is the Truth. It is the Self supreme.
tat tvam asi -- you are That.

Chandogya Upanishad 13.2-3

This journey of daily life can be very painful and confusing for those who do not yet know their true
inner identity. With a calm mind and unwavering dedication to being an instrument of Divine
Presence, the purpose of one's life will be realized.

Pairs of Opposites - Healthy versus Unhealthy

In this world, we learn by seeing pairs of opposites. For example, we learn the meaning of “hot”
relative to “cold”. But when we carefully study the pairs of opposites, such as healthy/unhealthy,
hot/cold, big/small, light/dark, we find that in reality there are not really two different things involved,
but rather there is only some aspect of the Divine Presence which either is present or is lacking.

For example, consider light/dark. In day-to-day thought we may consider light and dark to be
opposites. But they're really not opposites. Light is the presence of a certain type of energy and
darkness is merely what happens when that energy is not present. Darkness only exists when the
flow of light energy has been blocked or obstructed by something. That is to say, darkness is only a
shadow, a place where the light has not reached. So, rather than having opposites, what we
actually have is simply the presence of some essential quality, or the obstruction of that quality. (for
more on this topic, please see https://wahiduddin.net/views/perfection.htm )

The healthy ego is founded upon and nourished by the wondrous radiance of Divine Presence. In
contrast, the unhealthy ego exists only when the natural flow of Divine Presence is obstructed.
Therein lies the key to all healing: remove the obstruction, and allow the brilliance of one's True
Nature to freely flow into the world.

Loosening the Knots

In order to live in harmony with our True Nature, we must first get this pesky ego, with all of is
mental and bodily resources, working for our betterment, not our destruction. Just beneath this thin
veneer of self-deception there is a world of awesome beauty and wonder awaiting our arrival, a
magnificent world which is only discovered through one’s own direct experience.

Over the years, the undisciplined ego has developed great dependence upon worldly
circumstances. We have become tied to our “stuff”, tied to opinions, tied to an unsatisfactory point
of view. We are entangled in illusions of permanence in the midst of an ever-changing world.
Unless we take the time and effort to patiently make changes to our point of view, these knots will
only get tighter, entangling us even deeper in the mire of worldly circumstances, confusion and
suffering.

In order to free ourselves, we must patiently loosen the knots, unravel all that has bound us, and
joyfully look at everything in this worldly life from a new, less dependent, less attached viewpoint.
Instead of being attached and dependent upon worldly circumstances, we need to let go of the old
ideas of ownership or control or possession, and simply see ourselves as a temporary caretaker
or a witness of “what is”. No longer an owner, no longer a possessor, no longer bound by any
illusion of worldly permanence, but simply a temporary caretaker of the body, temporary caretaker
of the possessions, temporary caretaker of the wealth and temporary caretaker of all that we have
previously called “mine”.

When all the knots that strangle the heart

are loosened, the mortal becomes immortal.

Katha Upanishad 3:15, tr Eknath Easwaran

These knots have tied us to our “stuff”, and have led us into a daily routine of self-deception which
will ultimately be recognized by lack of satisfaction, unhappiness, a vague inner longing for
something else. We need to be intimately connected to Divine Presence, not tied to worldly
circumstance.
As a first step toward loosening the knots, strive to recognize some specific ways in which your
own ego has dominated and distorted your understanding of life’s circumstances, and then utilize
techniques such as relaxation, concentration, contemplation and meditation to gradually make
changes, illuminating the darkness of “I”, “me” and “mine” with the wondrous light of Divine
Presence. A spiritual guide can be a great asset in this journey, helping one to directly experience
some specific aspects of one's own True Nature.

Before you go to bed each night, sit for a short time and review your day. See what you are
becoming. Do you like the trend of your life? If not, change it.

Paramahansa Yogananda, Sayings of Yogananda, 1952, p99-100

This process of loosening the knots is a step by step journey, and at each step you’ll begin to more
clearly understand the purpose of your own life. Your first glimpse of freedom will be only the shell
or husk of a deeper purpose, so don’t stop there, be patient, continue inward step by step,
gradually discovering ever-deeper and ever-greater purpose in your own life, until finally all of life
becomes an awesome direct experience of Divine Presence.

Chapter 3 - Rising Above the Ego

Steps toward overcoming some of the most troublesome aspects of the ego.
Excessive Preoccupation with "I"
The dysfunctional conditions of the ego all revolve around our reactions to situations, and involve
excessive preoccupation with "I", "me" or "mine"... my thoughts... my wants... my opinions... my
preferences... my regrets... my anger... my needs. Excessive reactions to situations revolving
around "I", "me" or "mine" often create severe suffering for everyone involved and greatly limit
one's ability to enjoy either the beauty of life or the wonders of one's True Nature.

When a person is absorbed in self, he has no time to build his character; but when he forgets
himself, he collects all that is good and beautiful. This is the key to the whole of life, both to worldly
success and to spiritual attainment.

Philosophy, Psychology and Mysticism, Hazrat Inayat Khan

Worry and anxiety are two of the most common dysfunctional conditions of the ego. In both such
cases, the ego is simply filling the mind with incessant negative chatter. Such chatter can be
gradually calmed by simply becoming aware of what the ego is reacting to, accepting the situation,
and gently moving one's attention to something more beneficial.

Resisting and clinging are two more very common dysfunctions of the ego. Resistance and clinging
are generally the result of one's expectations, and result in struggle and dissatisfaction. In these
cases, the reaction of the ego is to refuse to accept what is. However, such a stubborn refusal
strategy is unlikely to bring success, since nothing can change what has already happened. There
is no point in resisting what is. The best that we can do is accept what is and, when the time is
right, begin to plant some new seeds which will bring us a better harvest in the future. In every
situation, planting seeds of love, harmony and beauty always bring the best harvest.

Fear of losing something is another common dysfunction of the ego, but it is simply a specific
example of what happens when the reaction of the ego is to try to resist what is. Nothing in this
world stays the same. Everything in this world is continually changing, and everything is continually
being transformed from one thing into something else. Yet life never dies. Life is eternal, and life is
continually changing from one form to another form. We cannot stop the changes, and when we try
to resist the changes of this world, we only create suffering.
Don't grieve.
Anything you lose
comes round in another form.

Jalaluddin Rumi, Essential Rumi, tr Coleman Barks

There are many situations in life which we truly need to respond to, but none of the situations will
be resolved by reactions of the ego which manifest as worry, anxiety, resistance, clinging,
struggle, impatience, anger or undue thoughts about "I", "me" or "mine". All such reactions only
create more stress in one's life. When the ego has filled the mind with so much reactive chatter
that one can neither enjoy the beauty of life nor sense the Divine Presence, then the ego has run
astray, and needs to be corrected.

Imagine a rider sitting on a horse without reins in his hand, letting the horse go free wherever it
likes. He risks his life at every moment. The happiness is his who rides on the horse and controls it
and has the reins in his hand, and he is the master of his journey.

The Gathas, Hazrat Inayat Khan

In its most useful form, the "well trained" ego will pay careful attention and then, using calm non-
reactive awareness of the present moment and relying upon the strength and guidance of Divine
Presence, one will easily tend to the situation at hand in an expedient, patient and appropriate
manner, resolving the existing difficulties and planting seeds for success in the future.

Old Baggage
Many of the most persistent and troublesome dysfunctions of the ego can be traced to baggage
from the past, a cluttered collection of old memories which have accumulated in the form of mental
baggage. Virtually all of us are dragging around a burdensome collection of heavy, old, outdated
baggage which is an impediment to truly enjoying the present moment.

And, as if the burden of dragging this heavy old stuff around is not harmful enough, the pesky ego
loves to react to situations by dragging out bits and pieces of that old baggage, snippets from the
past, which it then replays over and over and over again, sabotaging all sorts of new opportunities.

There is nothing inherently wrong with memories, even bad memories. The problems only arise
due to our ego's reaction to the old memories, and the ensuing drama which it then creates.

Most personal dilemmas occur due to the burden of dragging around our own heavy old collection
of baggage, and the ego's wearisome process of comparing every present opportunity with some
old worn-out memories of what happened in the past. Such behavior is simply a reaction of the
ego, and one can learn to substitute some new, more positive reaction.

Similarly, most interpersonal conflicts are really just what happens when one person's old baggage
conflicts or clashes with another person's old baggage. Those conflicts can also be avoided by
learning to substitute some new behavior in place of the ego's old reaction.

Sometimes we find ourselves confronted by a vague inner need to change the course of our life,
and we begin to clean out our closets, or perhaps even remodel our house, when in fact what
needs to be cleaned out and remodeled is the ego's old collection of rubbish. And, just as we tend
to cling to our old accumulated things around the house, so too do we tend to cling to our heavy
burden of mental baggage. The old junk is just weighting us down, we're drowning, and even as
we drown we refuse to let go of that heavy pile of junk which is the cause of the problem!
A pivotal point in life, an opportunity for transformation, a moment of awakening, arises when one
finally begins to see that the disruptive reactions of the ego, creating new dramas based on old
rubbish, is choking off the flow of Divine Presence which one truly needs for happiness and
success. At that point, one can begin to release the old unhealthy habitual mental reactions, and
replace those old reactions with new reactions which help to open the heart to the wondrous flow
of Divine Presence in the present moment.

The Sub-Conscious Mind

Habits arise automatically from the sub-conscious mind, which has been programmed by all that
one has thought, heard or done. In order to change our habits, we must reprogram the sub-
conscious mind to create new habits.

The sub-conscious mind is extraordinarily powerful, and can affect virtually every organ in the
body, from glands to muscles. However, the sub-conscious mind is not at all concerned about what
we might call reality. That is, the sub-conscious mind does not make any attempt to distinguish fact
from fiction, it simply responds according to its programming.

Has it ever struck you that you have been programmed to be unhappy and so no matter what you
do to become happy, you are bound to fail?... If you wish to be happy the first thing that you need
is not effort or even good will or good desires, but a clear understanding of how exactly you have
been programmed.

Anthony De Mello, The Way to Love, Doubleday, 1991, p19

Whenever we dwell upon troublesome thoughts such as fear of something, failure to accomplish
something, or even the lack of something, we are in fact programming the sub-conscious mind to
deliver those same dreadful results into our life.

Habits
Much of the ego's destructive behavior becomes embedded in sub-conscious habitual reactions
and patterns which are scarcely even noticeable in the conscious mind. But when one begins to
watch all of life with great awareness, such reactive patterns become obvious, and can then be
brought out into the light of consciousness for examination and correction.

The greater part of most people's thinking is involuntary, automatic, and repetitive. It is no more
than a kind of mental static and fulfills no real purpose. Strictly speaking, you don't think: Thinking
happens to you... The voice in the head has a life of it's own. Most people are at the mercy of that
voice; they are possessed by thought, by the mind. And since the mind is conditioned by the past,
you are then forced to reenact the past again and again.

A New Earth, Eckhart Tolle

In general, habits are not often broken by denying them, but rather habits are best replaced by new
behaviors which are in harmony with our highest ideals, and are in harmony with our True Nature,
the Divine Presence. New habits which involve beneficent attributes such as generosity,
compassion, harmony, beauty, tolerance and loving-kindness will always prove to be the best
choice.

Benefits of a Strong Ego

A strong ego is only a problem when it is producing non-productive thoughts and managing life in a
dysfunctional manner. That same strong ego, when properly directed toward bringing love,
harmony and beauty into the world, is a precious gift and a wondrous blessing.
There are many great teachers who have, early in life, suffered from their destructive egos, and yet
when they eventually discovered how to use that same powerful ego to bring love, harmony and
beauty into the world, they rose quickly into the ranks of the highly respected and widely admired.

In fact, when the ego becomes directed toward of life of love, harmony and beauty, those who have
a strong ego may find it very easy to rise into the highest of spiritual states, thanks to that strong
ego's ability to enjoy bringing love, harmony and beauty into every situation.

Taking Charge of the Ego

In order to reclaim one's true potential in life, and tame the out of control ego, it is necessary to first
become consciously aware of what the ego is doing and be able to say "Ahh, I see what that pesky
ego is doing!". Then, when the ego, and the ego's reactive drama, are simply seen for the clutter
and chatter that they are, and are no longer identified as "I" or "me" or "mine", then we can begin to
methodically take control of the mind and deal with each situation as it arises, without undue
reaction, drama or concern. When the mind is preoccupied with "I", "me" or "mine", life can be very
difficult. However, with calm mindful awareness of the present moment, life is filled with a sense of
ease and satisfaction.

When the ego has become overgrown and dominates the mind, it is all too easy to think of the ego
as "me", and one is then led to believe that the worries of the ego are "my worries", the anxieties of
the ego are "my anxieties". But that's not true. Those thoughts are not "you", they are merely the
chatter of your housekeeper. The ego is merely a tool to help maintain the body. Take charge of the
ego, tear down the walls and veils that make life difficult. Accept what is, look for opportunities, and
move on.

You do not have to struggle to reach God,

but you do have to struggle to tear away
the self-created veil that hides him from you.

Paramahansa Yogananda

The truth is that you are an instrument of the Divine Presence, through which your True Nature
wishes to flow into the world, bringing blessings, comfort and peace to all. Day by day, consciously
strive to bring loving-kindness, patience, compassion and peaceful calm into every situation.

Patience
Impatience is a clear sign that the ego is refusing to accept the present moment and that we are
not in harmony with the ease, forgiveness and loving-kindness of our own True Nature. Whenever
impatience arises, take a deep breath, accept “what is”, allow (or even force) loving-kindness to
emerge toward everyone involved, and then respond to the situation in a manner which is in
harmony with your True Nature, the Divine Presence.

Anger
Anger is the ego's response when we lack suitable skills to deal with our own frustrated desires. In
order to subdue the anger, we must first discover what the frustrated desire really is. That is, we
need to find out specifically what frustrated desire has triggered the anger. Then, we must strive to
understand that desire in a non-reactive manner, neither clinging to the desire, nor resisting the
desire, but rather examining the desire to see if it is in harmony with our True Nature, and if so,
how that desire could be more appropriately presented and fulfilled.

Putting the Ego in It's Proper Place

In order to allow the Divine Presence to flow through one's own daily life, the ego (the little self)
must be lovingly put in its proper place as a servant, not as the master. That is, the ego makes an
excellent and worthwhile servant, but it is a terrible master. Excessive focus upon oneself is the
cause of great suffering.

The point is not to deny our ego, but to extricate ourselves from our exclusive preoccupation with it.

One-Liners, by Ram Dass

In order to begin to get the ego under control, it is necessary, first of all, to realize that you actually
do have an ego, and secondly to realize that your ego currently has some degree of dysfunction
(unless of course you're already perfect). Dysfunctions of the ego restrict our ability to stay in the
present moment, which in turn restricts our ability to embody our True Nature. And, without our
True Nature as the guiding light of our daily life, life can seem empty and frustrating.
Initially, it may take hours or days before one realizes that the ego has been the cause of a
problem. But regardless of when the realization occurs, give thanks for the gift of seeing what the
ego has done, look at the matter with calm loving awareness (and perhaps even a sense of humor)
noting how troublesome and inappropriate the ego can be, and realize that it is merely the ego (not
"I", not "me") which is acting up. Then, with lovingly calm self-assurance, free of attachment to the
clutter and confusion of the ego, simply resolve to become aware of, rectify, and let go of such
undesirable ego activity more quickly each time it occurs.

To change your life,

change your attitude.

Daily Contemplations, Sakyong Mipham Rinpoche

The ego cannot continue to dominate one's life after the dysfunction of the ego becomes apparent
and is watched without reaction, and with perhaps even a sense amusement (somewhat like a
parent watching a small child play make-believe games). The key is the watching without reaction.

When you catch the ego beginning to habitually chatter or create undue reactive drama, just watch
and listen, without judgment and without reaction. Simply examine the situation in the clear light of
the present moment, accepting it all without including any of the clutter or drama, and then move
on, as described in these three easy steps:

1) Calm the mind. Use techniques such as calm deep breathing and/or visualization of something
peaceful or beautiful. (When the mind is in extreme turmoil, it may be useful to have a non-reactive
friend, or a pre-recorded program, available to assist in the calming process.)

2) Accept what is. Look with calm living-kindness at exactly what is actually happening, accepting
the present moment with no immediate reaction, no additional drama, no "poor me" story.

3) Move on. Choose what seems to be an appropriate course of action to deal with what is, a
course of action which will serve to plant new seeds for the future. The best results will always be
obtained when the course of action is in harmony with your True Nature, manifesting beneficent
attributes such as generosity, compassion, harmony, beauty, tolerance and loving-kindness.

We must allow the ego, the little self, to help to protect and maintain our human body, but we must
rise above any excessive preoccupation with its dysfunctional rambling, and allow the wondrous
Divine Presence to be our guide.

The Head and the Heart

Another way to look at this wedding of body and soul, is to explore the union of the head and heart.
Much the same as we need to allow the soul to guide and inspire the body, so too must we allow
the heart to guide and inspire the head.

Reason, when you speak

I cannot hear the Wise One.

Rumi, Whispers of the Beloved

The head is an excellent servant, but a very troublesome master. For a happy and satisfied life, the
wisdom of the heart must be allowed to lead, and the reasoning of head must follow. The heart and
the head are not adversaries, but rather they are two halves which, for the greatest success and
enjoyment in life, simply need to be employed in the proper order…. first the heart, then the head.

The reasoning of the head, when empowered by the self-centered ego, enjoys trying to divide,
analyze and separate things. In contrast, the wisdom of the heart, when empowered by True
Nature, strives for unity, understanding and oneness embracing all of creation. The head is an
organ of reason and logic, while the heart is the organ of inner knowing and deep understanding.

That is not to say that the head is intrinsically troublesome, but rather that the head is all too often
allowed to run amok without worthwhile direction. In fact, the head has great cunning,
resourcefulness and endurance, which are admirable attributes when put to use in service of a
heart which is attuned to its True Nature.

When Divine Presence gives us a message, it arrives in an instant, full and complete. But then the
head goes to work embellishing and modifying that precious flash of insight in whatever manner
seems to best suit its own agenda. To follow the heart, we must learn to capture and preserve that
initial flash of inspiration as it arrives, protecting it from further embellishment or interpretation by
the head.

Subtle degrees
of domination and servitude
are what we know as love

but love is different

it arrives complete
just there
like the moon in the window

Jalaluddin Rumi, The Rumi Collection

We need to fully engage both head and heart, and in doing so we engage both body and soul.
Either one by itself is not enough. Without suitable direction and guidance from the heart, the head
will inevitably become quite troublesome.

To develop both peace and satisfaction, we must find a harmonious balance between heart and
head, with the heart providing the guiding inspiration and the head taking care of the worldly
details.

Here’s a little chart comparing some typical attributes of the attuned heart and the unguided head:

Attuned Heart Unguided Head

The calm, peaceful temple of Divine Presence. Full of incessant worldly chatter about "me"
and "mine".
Emphasizes synthesis and unity. Strives for analysis and separation.
Extends loving-kindness to all. Finds expression through self-concern.
Acceptance Intolerance
Unbounded understanding in all situations. Self-righteous misinterpretation.
Full of answers and inner knowing. Full of questions and arguments.
Expresses love and generosity. Thrives on selfishness and possessiveness.
Is an instrument of Divine Presence. Strives for own personal accomplishments.
Delighted by the presence of "Other" Cares most about "I", "me" and "mine".

Contemplating these opposing qualities of heart and head may lead to questions such as: How can
one distinguish between which impulses to follow, and which impulses to avoid? As starting point,
one should follow the highest of moral values as have been given to mankind by the great teachers
and prophets. But mere rules are not enough, we must also examine our own direct experience to
see the results of what we have done. That which leads toward love, harmony and beauty
deserves to be followed, while that which fails to lead to love, harmony and beauty deserves to be
abandoned.

There is a Light which shines beyond all things on earth, beyond us all, beyond the heavens,
beyond the highest, the very highest heavens. This is the Light that shines in our heart.

Chandogya Upanishad 3:13:7

When the following of one’s inner impulse leads to a direct experience of beneficent qualities such
as unity, brotherhood, loving-kindness, understanding, compassion and generosity, then that
impulse, and others like it, should be followed. But if following one’s impulse leads into afflictive
thoughts and actions such as division, anger, laziness, worry, hatred, greed or selfishness, then
that impulse, and others like it, should be abandoned.

It is only with the heart that one can see rightly;

what is essential is invisible to the eye.

Antoine de Saint-Exupery, The Little Prince

Only the heart can truly understand and appreciate the beauty and wonder of the world. Follow the
guidance of the heart, and allow Divine Presence to transform all of life from mundane drudgery
into glorious splendor.

Calm Awareness of the Present Moment

The key to overcoming the annoyances and distractions of the ego is awareness, or mindfulness,
which is the art of staying in the present moment. We need to live each moment with lovingly calm
awareness of what is really happening in the present moment, otherwise the ego can all too easily
run astray.

With calm awareness of one's thoughts, and calm awareness of one's current emotional state, one
can shine the light of Divine Presence onto the ego, putting an end to all of what appeared to be
darkness, confusion and despair.

O, friend! Nobody veils you, but yourself.

In your path there is no thorn or weed, but yourself.
You asked: shall I reach the Beloved or not?
Between you and the Beloved there is nobody, but yourself.

Chapter 4 - Living in the Present Moment

Benefits of focusing attention on the present moment. Techniques for focusing attention.
Divine Presence is in the Present Moment
Divine Presence exists in the wonder of the present moment. In contrast, the dysfunctional ego is
primarily involved with rambling chatter about the past and/or the future. The chatter of the ego is
largely based on old habitual patterns, rather than an appropriate and skillful response to the
present moment.

In order to experience the Presence Within, one must be fully engaged in the present moment.

Be Here Now!

Ram Dass

If you cannot find the Truth right where you are,

where else do you expect to find it?

Dogen Zenji

Life is a Journey
All too many people are madly searching for some career, occupation or activity that will fulfill their
life's purpose, but alas there is no specific career, occupation or activity required. It does not matter
if you are a teacher or parent or business executive. The name or title of your job does not really
matter, all that matters is how you do it.

The true purpose of your life is to be an instrument of the Divine Presence, bringing love, harmony
and beauty into every situation in every moment. Life is a journey, not a destination, and all that
truly matters is how one takes each step of the journey. If you take each step in harmony with your
True Nature, as an instrument of the wondrous Presence Within, then you are fulfilling your life's
purpose regardless of the situation.

Rising Above Self-Inflicted Drama

To live in the present moment is to be fully in harmony with what is, no longer struggling with past
or future, no longer clinging to expectations, no longer identifying with or clinging to "my worry" or
"my anxiety", but rather being totally aware of and totally engaged in whatever is happening right
now, embracing the ego's positive and helpful participation in life, gently letting go of all that is not
beneficial.

Two of the most enjoyable and fruitful ways to move away from egoic chatter and self-inflicted
drama are: enjoying the wonders of nature, and serving others.

A walk in the countryside, enjoying the sights, sounds, textures and fragrances of nature can
provide not only a distraction from our chattering ego, but with some awareness we find that nature
can readily provide the answers for life's most troubling problems.

As one goes further in the soul's unfoldment one finally arrives at the stage of revelation. Life
begins to reveal itself, the whole of life, each soul becomes communicative... and every condition,
every soul, every object in the world will reveal its nature and character to him. Sa'di, the Persian
poet, has said, 'Once a soul has begun to read, every leaf of the tree becomes as a page of the
sacred book of life'.

The Smiling Forehead, Hazrat Inayat Khan

In serving others, giving to others, enjoying nature, or otherwise serving a greater ideal, the energy
of the ego is directed beyond oneself, and all of life is infused with great delight. In doing so, that
same ego which has in the past seemed to be an dreadful adversary is happily resurrected as a
mighty ally.
All those who are unhappy in the world are so as a result of their desire for their own happiness. All
those who are happy in the world are so as a result of their desire for the happiness of others.

Shantideva, tr by Vesna and B. Alan Wallace

Give, and it will be given to you.

Gospel of Luke 6:38

Just practice good, do good for others, without thinking of making yourself known so that you may
gain reward. Really bring benefit to others, gaining nothing for yourself. This is the primary
requisite for breaking free of attachments to the self.

Dogen Zenji, tr Reiho Masunaga

Gaps in the Chatter

Excessive chatter of the mind is largely an automatic and/or habitual response of the ego. The
chatter can gradually be reduced by means of deliberate mental exercises. Three traditional, and
very useful, exercises for gradually learning to reduce the ego's noisy chatter are called:
concentration, contemplation and meditation.

In concentration, one gives the mind something specific to focus upon, rather than allowing
uncontrolled chatter. Concentration is the key to mastery of the mind, and concentration is the key
to success in contemplation and meditation. True mastery of the mind is within reach when one is
able to concentrate regardless of any outer circumstances or distractions.

The mind of an average person may be pictured as an unruly horse that jumps and kicks and
throws anyone that tries to ride it. Masters of the world are those who have mastered themselves,
and mastery lies in the control of the mind. If the mind became your obedient servant, the whole
world is at your service. The king of mind is greater than the king of a nation.

Inayat Khan, Githa II (unpublished)

In contemplation, rather than focusing attention upon a specific object, one looks from the
viewpoint of the object, or, in other words, looks through the eyes of that object. Looking from the
viewpoint of a great teacher, saint or prophet can be a powerful, and perhaps life changing,
process. Similarly, looking at life from the viewpoint of divine attributes such as loving-kindness,
mercy or compassion can also produce far-reaching improvements in one's life.

In meditation, one teaches the mind to accept (rather than embellish) the rambling thoughts, which
then tend to dissipate, leaving a vast stillness in which the Divine Presence can be honored and
appreciated. In meditation, sometimes there may be no thoughts at all, only a pleasant blissful
awareness. Or, at other times in meditation there may be profound inspiration or revelation arising
from within.

To further clarify the differences between concentration, contemplation and meditation, it may be
useful to consider the philosophical notion of Subject and Object, in which there is an observer
(Subject) and there is something observed (Object). During concentration, the Subject becomes
intensely focused on some specific Object. During contemplation, the roles are somewhat
reversed, and the Subject adopts the viewpoint of the Object. During meditation, such roles are
entirely dropped, the Subject and Object both fade away, and only a sense of "knowing" remains.
The first signs of progress toward quieting the chatter of the mind are when brief gaps or pauses
are noticed between the episodes of the ego's noisy chatter. With continued practice, those gaps
between the noisy chatter can be gradually extended, with the mind becoming more and more
open to the calm and serenity of Divine Presence, and having fewer and fewer outbursts of noisy
chatter.

When we meditate, we begin to still the mind. As we get more and more adept at moving into inner
silence, we come to know the peace of God in our entire being. We intuitively seek union with our
generating Source. Silence, or meditation, is the path to that center. We can make conscious
contact with God, transcend the limitations of a dichotomous world, and regain the power that is
only available when we’re connected to the Source. This is what I call getting in the gap. ... The
gap is the powerful silence we access through meditation. By entering the elusive gap between our
thoughts, we can access the stillness that may have been unattainable in other meditation
attempts.

Our ultimate reason for meditating is to get in the gap where we enter the sacred space and know
the unlimited power of our Source. Psalm 46:10 says: “Be still, and know that I am God.”

Getting In The Gap, Dr. Wayne Dyer

You Are What You Think
There is an old saying: "You are what you eat", which is as true in the spiritual realm as it is in the
physical realm. What you feed your mind, determines what will come into your life. Truly, you are
what you think.

Our thoughts pave the way for what will become manifest in our life. The sub-conscious mind is
programmed by our thoughts and will strive to bring into fruition whatever we have been thinking
about. The more vivid the thoughts, the more powerful the tendency toward manifestation.

We tend to become that to which we turn our attention. If we focus our attention on pain, then we
will find pain. If we spent the day worrying, then we are actually programming the sub-conscious
mind to find a way to create situations which will fulfill our worries!

Worry is nothing more than the ego's creation of problems, or rather, the ego's creation of what
appear to be problems. Unfortunately, the sub-conscious mind, which controls the body's immune
system and hormone system cannot tell the difference between imaginary problems and real
threats to our survival. Therefore, the ego's creation of imaginary or hypothetical problems can
have serious effects on one's health and well-being.

Take Time to Smile

Another way to help loosen the old knots and connect to the calm inner depths is to smile. Or, even
better, laugh.

If in our daily lives we can smile, if we can be peaceful and happy, not only we, but everyone will
profit from it. If we really know how to live, what better way to start the day than with a smile? Our
smile affirms our awareness and determination to live in peace and joy. The source of a true smile
is an awakened mind.

Peace is Every Step, Thich Nhat Hanh

Smiling and laughter provide a precious interlude, a gap, in which the unpleasant thoughts and
rambling chatter of the ego are quieted. Studies have clearly shown that smiling and laughter, even
fake smiling and fake laughter, can greatly reduce stress and can even begin to reverse some of
the damage being caused by stress.

Breaking Old Habits

Much of our human behavior is sub-conscious reaction, based on habitual patterns. When those
patterns are dysfunctional, they need to be replaced by new habits which are in alignment with
one's highest ideals.

Trying to resist or deny an existing habit is seldom effective. For enduring change, one must
consistently replace the old habit with a desirable new habit.

First, begin with visualizing the behavior which you want to exhibit. If you want to be more loving,
then visualize a situation in which you are being more loving. Or, if you want to be more generous,
then visualize a situation in which you are more generous. The sub-conscious mind does not know
the difference between your visualizations and reality, so it will happily learn to do whatever you
program it to do.

The sub-conscious mind is most easily programmed by vivid, multi-sensory events. Therefore, the
most effective visualizations will include not only vivid imagination of how you feel emotionally, but
also what you feel physically, what you see, or what you hear.

At the beginning of each day, spend a few minutes visualizing the desired behavior. During the day,
strive to watch your behavior and respond in the desired manner. Then, in the evening, review your
day, thinking about how well the successes went, and visualizing ways in which you can do even
better. Do not spend any time at all groveling in thoughts about any failures, but rather only
imagine how you can do better. In order for your sub-conscious mind to be efficiently programmed,
the image of success must always be what you hold highest in your consciousness.

Old habits can be replaced with new habits by means of consistent replacement of the old behavior
with the desired new behavior for a number of consecutive days. In many cases, 28 days, an entire
moon cycle, seems to be sufficient. For most people, correcting an old habit only once in a while is
not good enough. The old habit must be caught each and every time it occurs, and successfully
replaced by the new behavior pattern for 28 consecutive days. Try it!

A Program for Rising Above Old Habits

The mind is very powerful and very creative. But sadly, many people allow the mind to run wild on
its own, without suitable guidance. Much like a horse, the mind is not of much use when it is simply
running wild, but with some tender guidance, it can become both more useful and more
pleasurable.

A key point to remember is that the subconscious mind does not distinguish between fact and
fiction, it simply responds to what it is being told. So, if a person strongly thinks that some problem
is going to occur, then the subconscious mind will do all that it can do to help make certain that the
problem does indeed occur. Therefore, our own mind often creates the very situations which we
fear.

Over time, such fearful thinking or worrying becomes a habit. That is, at some point in life, through
misunderstanding or misinterpretation of a situation, one learns to have a fearful response which is
not useful, helpful or appropriate. So, our task is to replace that old fearful response with a new,
more appropriate, more helpful, more useful response, by welcoming the in-dwelling Spirit of
Guidance into every aspect of life. God is closer than the veins in your neck, and with some
dedication you can become quiet enough, calm enough to hear and follow Divine Guidance.

In order to break an old habit, one must replace the old habit with a new habit. It is not helpful to try
to deny or resist the old habit, but rather it must be gently and thoughtfully replaced with the new
habit.
And, interestingly, this process of developing a new "replacement" habit can generally be
accomplished through sincere effort for one month. Yes, even the most troublesome life-long habits
can generally be broken in just one month of sincere effort!

Here are four specific steps which may be useful:

1) Intention: The first step is to have a deep and sincere intention. You must consciously express
an intention to rise above the old limitations and rely more confidently on the in-dwelling Spirit of
Guidance.

It is very helpful to begin by silently thinking about your intention, and then to actually say it out
loud.

2) Meditation: Set aside a specific time each and every day to relax, calm your mind, and mentally
envision (in great detail) some hypothetical situations in which you respond to everyday situations
in a new, more wholesome, more productive, more loving, more confident manner.

Whenever any non-loving thoughts such as fear, worry, anger or impatience arise, just gently and
confidently shift your attention to successfully and skillfully handing every situation which arises,
responding with loving-kindness, compassion, tolerance, patience and benevolence in every
moment. Nothing can defeat love!

3) Practice: Each day, find some way to put into practice something similar to what you have
envisioned in your meditation. Strive to give love, and be open to receiving love, in every moment
of the day.

4) Review: At the end of each day, take some time to relax and think about what was successful
and what was not.

Was loving-kindness, compassion, generosity, tolerance, patience offered in every situation? If not,
strive to do better tomorrow.

If you are sincere and dedicated, by end of 28 consecutive days of successful practice your new
mental processes will be rapidly rising above the old habitual responses. If you have relapses and
failures, then simply continue the practice until you have an entire 28 consecutive days of favorable
results.

According to some schools of thought, it may be useful to begin this practice at the beginning of a
lunar month (the first sighting of the new moon).
Diet and Exercise for the Mind
Just as many physical ailments are corrected by diet and exercise, so too can many mental
conditions be corrected in similar manner by controlling what we allow the mind to chew on and
digest, as well by providing suitable exercise to enhance the desirable functions of the mind.

Specifically, we need to consciously direct the mind to imagine, become involved with, and bring
into fruition our highest ideals, such as love, harmony and beauty. Through the use of controlled
mental activities such as concentration, contemplation, meditation and visualization, one can
realize the highest of ideals.

Happy is he who is able to escape from the lower self and feel the gentle breeze of Friendship. His
heart is so full of the Beloved that there is no longer room for anyone else. The Beloved flows
through his every vein and nerve. Every atom of his body is filled with the Friend.
The true lovers can no longer perceive either the scent or the color of their own selves. They have
no interest in anything other than the Beloved. Their heart is attached neither to throne nor crown.
Greed and lust have packed their bags and left their street. If they speak, it is to the Friend. If they
seek, it is from the Friend. They no longer take themselves into account, and live only for love.
They leave the raw and turn to the ripe, abandoning completely the abode of the self.

Jami, Essential Sufism, James Fadiman and Robert Frager

Cause and Effect

By watching one's own actions, and noting the results of those actions, one can discover which
thoughts and actions lead to suffering and difficulty, for oneself as well as others. Then, armed with
such insight, one must strive to never again repeat the same unpleasant behaviors.

By recognizing the causality, or cause and effect nature of life (often called karma), one can
become aware of one's own troublesome behaviors, and then proceed to break the old habits
which could bring further suffering and difficulty into life.

The whole work of building oneself, and everything else, depends on how much one is able to
forget oneself! That is the key to the whole of life, material and spiritual, and to worldly and spiritual
success.

The Art of Being, Character Building, Hazrat Inayat Khan

Getting Out of the Trap

There are many kinds of traps which we fall into in this life, and our immediate reaction to the
situation has a great effect on the eventual outcome.

Imagine, for example, that you are out for a peaceful walk in the beautiful countryside, far from any
other people, happily listening to the birds, gazing at the wildflowers, in awe of all that nature has
wrought, and then suddenly, while you're mesmerized by the sights and sounds, you step into an
animal trap which clamps tightly shut on your ankle. foot in trap

What happens next? Will you get angry? Will you yank and pull in violent resistance to the trap?
What would you do??

Anger will not solve the problem. Resistance or struggle will not solve the problem. Any form of
resistance to what has already happened will only cause greater stress, and in the midst of that
stress, it will be much more difficult to find a solution. Thus, resistance causes two problems: first,
resisting the present situation creates an environment of suffering, and secondly, resisting the
present situation creates an environment which is unfavorable for finding a solution.

The most practical course of action is to calmly accept what has already happened, and from that
place of calm awareness choose a course of action which seems appropriate (and which is in
harmony with Divine Presence)... for example, in the case of stepping into a trap, might be actions
such as obtaining a large stick to pry the trap open, or returning to town to get help.

The following three steps illustrate a healthy and productive response to life's troublesome traps:

1) Calm the mind. Use techniques such as calm deep breathing and/or visualization of something
peaceful or beautiful. Concentration, contemplation and meditation may be useful tools.

2) Accept what is. Look with calm loving-kindness at exactly what is actually happening, accepting
the present moment with no immediate reaction, no additional drama, no "poor me" story.
3) Move On. Choose what seems to be an appropriate course of action to deal with what is, and to
plant new seeds for the future. A course of action which is in harmony with the love, harmony and
beauty of Divine Presence will always produce the best results.

Pain and Suffering

We all encounter some kind of pain in the course of our life, but we do not need to suffer. There is
a difference between pain and suffering. Pain is a reaction of the body, while suffering is a reaction
of the mind. Suffering occurs when we resist what is. As one reduces the resistance to what is, so
too is the suffering also diminished.

With practice and intention, one can learn to reduce or entirely eliminate suffering, regardless of
the pain. It is not always easy to rise above the influence of pain, but the rewards are well worth
the effort.

Forgive and Forget

Obviously we cannot simply tell the brain to erase something from memory, there's no "erase"
switch to flip on and off. But, with some practice and persistence, we can learn to be at ease with
the past, having feelings of loving-kindness and compassion for everyone.

We may not have the conscious capability to utterly obliterate an old memory, but we have the
power to be so completely at ease with the situation that it is no longer troubling or noteworthy to
the mind. In many cases, the root of the problem is that one's ego is replaying some old memory in
order to feel superior or self-righteous or perhaps even to feel wounded. That is, the replaying of
the old memory is valuable to the ego because it can in some way identify some aspect of "me"
through recalling that situation.

Any discomfort due to an old memory indicates that the mind is not yet at ease with that situation.
In that case, one solution is to find a way to be truly grateful, truly thankful, for that old situation,
completely at ease with all that happened, having feelings of loving-kindness and compassion
toward everyone involved, with joyfully readiness to move on to the next lesson in life.

At first it may be necessary to simply imagine some feelings of loving-kindness and compassion for
anyone beyond one's closest circle of friends, but over time the feelings of loving-kindness and
compassion which initially were only imagination will blossom into the real thing.

Vivid visualization of positive attributes such as loving-kindness and compassion is a time-proven

exercise which can bring life-changing benefits for everyone involved. Give it a try!
Accepting What is --- And Planting for the Future
All too often, the ego produces a "knee-jerk" reaction which is based on old habits and past
failures. We can do better! And the first step toward a better way of life is to accept what is.

It is not productive to argue against or resist what already is. Our preferences and opinions may
lead us toward resistance, but resistance will only bring stress and suffering. There is a better way,
and it is called acceptance. Completely accept what is, and then decide where to go from there.

I say unto you, That ye resist not evil: but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to
him the other also.

Gospel of Matthew, 5:39

The Great Way is not difficult for those who have no preferences.

Hsin-Hsin Ming, Seng-Ts'an, tr Richard B Clark

Whatever has already come into being has done so because of certain seeds which were planted
in the past. Now that the harvest has arrived, it is too late to argue, and there is no viable choice
other than to accept the harvest which has already arrived. We can't simply argue or whine or
complain and realistically expect to turn a harvest of dreadful thorns into a bowl of tasty grapes.
However, we can help to determine the future by means of the seeds which we plant in the present
moment.

If we plant seeds of worry and woe, then our harvest will be filled with worry and woe. On the other
hand, if we choose to plant seeds of love, harmony and beauty, then our harvest will be filled with
love, harmony and beauty.

This is our great choice in life: What shall I plant in this moment?

Chapter 5 - Welcoming Divine Presence

Steps toward consciously welcoming Divine Presence into every aspect of one's life.
Inviting Divine Presence into Your Life
Consciously invite the Divine Presence into your life! The wonders of Divine Presence are always
available to everyone, but Divine Presence will not force itself on anyone. We are free to be
asleep. We are free to be ignorant. We are free to be selfish. We are free to be as foolish as we
choose. And we pay heavily for such misdeeds and lack of understanding. Yet the Divine Presence
is always there, just waiting for us to awaken from our slumber.

In order to enjoy a life of love, harmony and beauty, one must align one's outer life (worldly life)
with one's inner life (spiritual life). In other words, the most pressing need of mankind today is to re-
unite body and soul.

The wonders of spiritual life will not be fully embodied in one's own life until one awakens to the
presence of Divine Presence and allows it to be the very foundation upon which every aspect of
daily life is built, thereby bringing the wondrous blessings of love, harmony and beauty into every
situation. Life should be a joyful journey, and living in harmony with the ideals of Divine Presence is
the key.

If you do not yet feel that wondrous Divine Presence deep within, then (for the time being) simply
strive to allow your life to be centered around great ideals such as loving-kindness, generosity,
compassion, gratitude, and joyfulness. Whenever anything else arises, calmly observe whatever
has arisen without undue reaction, and return as quickly as possible to embodying those great
ideals such as loving-kindness, generosity, compassion, gratitude and joyfulness. In this simple
manner, one can gradually begin to reprogram the sub-conscious mind, and thereby more fully live
in harmony with the Divine Presence.

Be Beautiful!
In every moment of every day, the central theme of Divine Presence is simply this: Be Beautiful!

Each of the beautiful attributes of mankind, such as loving-kindness, generosity, compassion,

grace, and joyfulness, all arise from the wondrous Divine Presence which exists in the calm pure
depths of the heart.

The beauty which any individual exhibits truly glorifies the Source of Beauty, and will hopefully
invite others to turn, in their own way, toward that same Source, like moths toward the flame.

What does it mean to be beautiful?

To be beautiful is to let our thoughts, words and deeds bring Divine Presence into the world.
To be beautiful is to greet each and every being with grace, with love, with compassion, with
joyfulness.

To be beautiful is to see the ever-present Divine beauty everywhere.

To be beautiful is to express joyful gratitude for all that we receive.

To be beautiful is let the Divine radiance of your inner light shine upon all beings without any of
one's own hindrances or preferences whatsoever.

To be beautiful is to expect nothing in return.

That which is truly beautiful always arises from the depths of your own loving heart. That is, you
will be most beautiful when you are living in harmony with your own highest ideals and greatest
aspirations. One cannot be an expression of true beauty when trying to be like someone else.
Follow your heart! Follow that Divine Spirit of Guidance deep within you! Be beautiful in your own
way!

(see also https://wahiduddin.net/views/be_beautiful.htm )

Spiritual Equality
The present moment brings spiritual equality to all beings by means of the Divine Presence. It's
easy to see that we're not all equal physically, but spiritually we are all equal. Even the poorest or
seemingly most unfortunate person has the same spiritual inheritance, the same Divine Presence,
as everyone else.

The innermost being of man is the real being of God; man is always linked with God. If he could
only realize it, it is by finding harmony in his own soul that he finds communion with God. All
meditation and contemplation are taught with this purpose: to harmonize one's innermost being
with God, so that He is seeing, hearing, thinking through us, and our being is a ray of His light. In
that way we are even closer to God than the fishes are to the ocean in which they have their being.

The Unity of Religious Ideals, Hazrat Inayat Khan

Even someone who is might be considered to be poor in terms of worldly standards, is blessed
with that one gift which is more valuable than all the treasures of this earth: the wondrous Divine
Presence.

Blessed (in spirit) are the poor: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Gospel of Matthew 5:3

The Divine Presence shines equally upon everyone, yet it is our own personal choice whether or
not we reflect that divine light into the world. If one does not allow the various attributes of Divine
Presence to flow freely into the world, then one find that daily life is filled with the conditions that
arise when those attributes are obscured.

For example, if we block the divine flow of loving-kindness, then we experience anger. Or, if we
block the divine flow of compassion into this world, then we experience hatred. Oh dear friend,
please look at your own life, and realize that wherever there is a difficulty, that difficulty is due to
some portion of the Divine Presence being obscured by your own lack of awareness.

For example, if you want to experience peace in your life, you must change whatever in you is
obscuring the flow of peace. If you want to experience loving-kindness in your life, you must
change whatever in you is preventing the flow of loving-kindness. One good way to begin to
remove whatever is obscuring the flow, is to deliberately give. Give peace, give love, give
understanding.

Point of View
The essence of the path to lasting happiness is the changing of one's point of view. In order to
arrive at enduring happiness, living a fulfilling life of love, harmony and beauty, it is necessary to
shift one's viewpoint from the self-centered view of the ego to the all-inclusive, ever-loving view
which is found in the pure, calm depths of the heart.

How can one explain spiritual progress? What is it? What is it like? Spiritual progress is the
changing of the point of view.

Sufi Mysticism, Inner Study, Hazrat Inayat Khan

When one's viewpoint changes from the old self-centered egoic point of view to a new point of view
based upon Divine Presence, it is as if the world has changed, it is as if one has been reborn into
an entirely different world.

Being born again means that the soul is awakened after having come on earth, and entering the
kingdom of heaven means that this world, the same kingdom in which we are standing just now,
turns into heaven as soon as the point of view has changed.

Is it not interesting and most wonderful to think that the same earth we walk on is earth to one
person and heaven to another? And it is still more interesting to notice that it is we who change it;
we change it from earth into heaven, or we change it otherwise. This change comes not by study,
nor by anything else, but only by the changing of our point of view.

The Smiling Forehead, Hazrat Inayat Khan

Equanimity
When the calm and serenity of the Divine Presence fills one's life, there is no compelling need for
anything else, and a state of equanimity naturally arises wherein one is fully aware of all that is
happening, yet one remains even-minded, calm and secure no matter what happens. When one
lives with equanimity then praise and blame, like and dislike, are all the same.

Equanimity is characterized as promoting equipoise towards beings. Its function is to see the
equality in beings. It is manifested as quieting like and dislike. Its proximate cause is seeing the
ownership of deeds thus: "Beings are heirs to their deeds. Whose, if not theirs, is the choice by
which they will become happy, or will be free from suffering, or will not fall away from the success
they have reached?" It succeeds when it makes like and dislike subside.

Visuddhimagga 318, Buddhaghosa

Equanimity is not a state of being anesthetized or numb to life, but rather it is a state of heightened
awareness wherein all of life is embraced and welcomed regardless of the outer appearance.

Those who have come in sight of the Truth, after beholding the beauty of the Truth, do not care to
see anything else. They cannot look with love and yearning at anything else. For them, God
becomes the only Beloved, the only thing that exists. That is their state in both worlds. That is their
only purpose.
Secret of Secrets, 'abd al-Qadir al-Jilani, tr by Tosun Bayrak

For the one who is open to Divine Presence, equanimity arises when resistance departs. And, for
one who enters equanimity, all that remains is pure awareness of what is, without aversions,
preferences or judgments. In such equanimity one is blessed with direct experience of Divine
Presence.

Ease of Being
In order to be truly engaged in one's own purpose, the little self, the ego, must be an instrument of
Divine Presence, used to serve the Divine Presence, allowing the Divine Presence to become
manifest in this world.

royal_easeWhen the ego is in harmony with the will of the Divine Presence, then everything
happens with great power and with great ease. Simply put, the ego must serve, and be in harmony
with, the Divine Presence. Only then will one's purpose be fulfilled.

One of the best ways to evaluate whether or not you are acting in harmony with the Divine
Presence is to notice if your thoughts and actions produce a sense of stress or a sense of ease.
When one is employed as an instrument of Divine Presence, everything is done with great
strength, compassion and kindness, yet all is done with utter ease.

In the morning, the one who does not understand will

consider what he will do,
while the one who understands will
consider what the One will do with him.

Ibn 'ata 'illah

If you detect undue complexity, stress or worry in your life, that is a sign that your life is being
dominated by the ego. If you find that you are living with simplicity, power and ease, that is a sign
that your actions are in harmony with the Divine Presence.

If religions seem complex, they have been added to. In every case, what was brought by the
prophet was simple, and it was expressed in his personality and his life. It is that influence which
has remained for centuries after they have passed away. It is not the literature they have left; most
of the literature is from their pupils. It is the simple truth shown in their personalities, in their lives.
The error of this day and age is that we cannot understand the simple truth, the truth as it is
manifested everywhere.

Sufi Mysticism, Hazrat Inayat Khan

There is no greater sign, and no more certain sign, of Divine Presence than being fully engaged in
the activities of life and all the while demonstrating loving-kindness, tranquility and ease of being.

Strive to simply drop from your life any thought or any activity which does not bring loving-
kindness, tranquility and ease of being into the world. Ease of being is perhaps the single greatest
sign that one is on the right path, and is in harmony with Divine Presence.

Living in the Present Moment

The past is gone, and the future has not arrived. Any time other than the present moment is not
here now, it is only imaginary. All that matters is what you do, what action you take, in this moment.
It is impossible to take any action at any time other than "now".

Whatever you do in the present moment will determine what you receive in the future. That is, the
harvest that you will reap depends upon the seeds that you are planting in the present moment. If
you want a different harvest, then you must plant different seeds, and those new seeds can only be
planted in the in the "now".

If you want the Divine Presence to fill your life with the love, harmony and beauty that are your
birthright, then it is necessary to spend much less time in the mental realms of past and future, and
spend much more time in calm awareness of the wonders of the present moment.

How long will you keep pounding on an open door

begging for someone to open it?

Rabi'a al-'Adawiyya

Gratefulness
We live in the midst of an ever-changing world. Nothing on the earth lasts forever. By divine
command, every form will change and be transformed into something else. Our family, our
children, our friends, our home, our nation -- nothing can stay the same forever, everything comes
into being, stays for a while, and is then transformed into something else.

To us, it may appear that there is "death", but in reality, there is only the continual transformation
from one form to another. Life does not die, life cannot die, it simply moves from one form to
another. Everything on earth will change from its present form to some other form.

There is no point in resisting the changes. Change will happen whether we like it or not. There is a
great plan underway, a plan which is beyond our understanding. We can choose to accept what
happens, or we can resist what happens, but we cannot stop the changes.

In the face of all the changes which are inevitable, we should take time to notice, and be thankful
for, everything in our life which is pleasing and comforting. Oh, such splendid gifts we are given,
and so often we take them for granted, taking little or no notice. To have eyesight, to have arms or
legs, to have a friend... These too shall pass, so take time to rejoice for all that we are privileged to
enjoy in the present moment. In some other moment, all of this will be gone. Celebrate, sing your
song, dance your dance, and take time in each present moment to offer sincere thoughts of
reverence, awe, and gratefulness.

Be grateful for whoever comes,

because each has been sent
as a guide from beyond.

Jalaluddin Rumi, tr Coleman Barks

Before you ask God for what you want,

first thank God for what you have.

Talmud, B'rachot 30b

Humbly Align Yourself with Divine Presence

If you truly want to be an instrument of the Divine Presence, then take some time each day to
welcome the Divine Presence into your life. There is perhaps no greater way to move the
troublesome ego toward humble submission than to kneel, bowing down in humility, giving thanks
for all the good you've been given, and asking (in your own words) that you may be an instrument
of love, an instrument of compassion, an instrument of beauty in this world.

Such a prayerful attitude, filled with sincerity, humility, and longing is highly effective at bringing all
of the various components of one's own psyche into harmonious alignment, thereby directing one's
own will power and sub-conscious energy toward being an effective instrument of Divine Presence.

Chapter 6 - The Cause Behind Every Cause

Learning to see, in every moment, the wondrous signs which point toward the One Cause which is
behind every cause.
Viewing Our Life on Earth
In order to better understand this life on Earth, one must adopt a suitable point of view. Viewpoint is
the key.

All tragedy of life, all misery and inharmony are caused by one thing and that is lack of
understanding. ... The one who does not see from the point of view from which he ought to see
becomes disappointed because he cannot understand.

The Smiling Forehead, Inayat Khan

We are in this world to be instruments of Love, but we have gone astray, and have come to believe
that our excessive self-centered concern about "I", "me" and "mine" is the proper way to live. We
simply need to see life differently in order to regain our rightful peace and happiness.

Similarly, on the movie screen we may see scenes of beauty and we may see scenes of suffering,
but they are not as real or as important as they may seem. The scenes on the movie screen are
just flickering light. Why do some people get scared or angry or happy in the movie? Simply
because of their point of view. They forget that it is only a movie which they came to enjoy.

And so it is with this life. When we try to make sense of this world from a self-centered perspective,
thinking about what "I" would prefer, or expecting what "I" think is right, then this world often seems
confusing or even cruel. But when one adopts a different point of view, then the entire picture
changes to a sublime vision of learning about the wonders of Love, Harmony and Beauty.

Our own anguish during our lifetime is caused by our own lack of understanding. As the great
Persian spiritual master Sa'adi wrote:

"Every leaf is a sacred scripture to those who have learned to see."

That is, the answers to our questions are right before our eyes, if only we will learn to be still
enough, calm enough, loving enough, to receive the answers.

What one sees in this world always depends on one's viewpoint. The view from the impenetrable
sweltering depth of a tropical jungle is much different than the view from the pure, clear air of the
mountain-top. Similarly, in order to see life differently, one must change to a different viewpoint.

The root of all suffering and misunderstanding is the excessive attachment to this "I". Due to our
obsessive identification with "I", the truth is clouded, or veiled, and that covering causes us to
misinterpret what is happening.

Our misunderstanding of this fleeting quality called life is often a cause for great anguish, confusion
and suffering. Life does not die, it only moves on to another form. What looks like death is simply
an on-going process of change, continually transforming from one form to another. Such is the
mystery and the nature of life. Everything on this Earth is constantly in a state of change, being
transformed from one thing into something else, much the same as a caterpillar is transformed into
a butterfly. Yet life goes on. Eventually every form disappears, and some other form emerges.
That's just the way this planet works. We may not always like it, but there's no use struggling
against it.

The only way to truly understand something is to directly experience it for yourself. So, please
ponder the following tale of a journey into another realm, the realm of the soul, and perhaps you
may begin to remember something that you've forgotten. This little story is about a journey of the
heart, a conversation between two souls, one of whom is on the way to Earth, and the other is on
the way back into The Unknowable:

Are you coming back from a life on Earth?

Yes! I just left there.

I've heard others talking about life on Earth, but all of their stories have been entirely different. Can
you tell me about that place?

Oh yes! Everyone has a different story about Earth, that is the beauty and wonder of life on Earth.
It is a world of light and shadows, a place of contrasts, where each thing is known in comparison to
its absence or lack. So, there is light and there is lack of light, there is happiness and there is lack
of happiness, there is love and there is lack of love, there are endless emotions and senses, such
a variety of fragrances and tastes, so much to see and to touch and to feel. Oh what a magnificent
place it is.

What are these difficulties and death that everyone speaks of?

Well, on Earth each thing comes into being, then it exists for a while, and finally in some way or
other its existence ends. It's like a circle, or a spiral... we're sent out as emissaries of the Oneness,
we enter into life, we live a while, and then we move out of life and return to The Oneness. Really,
life never dies, it just changes its appearance. Life on Earth is a never ending parade of forms,
coming into being, existing for a while, and then amazingly changing into something else... yet Life
never dies, it just changes from one form to another form.

But some people have said that they died a terrible death! Why would they do that?

It looks dreadful, but it's really not all that bad. It's like a grand play. Everyone has a part to play,
and even though we know that everyone will die, we never know just exactly how it will happen.
The entire planet is an ever-changing construction zone, covered with volcanoes and earthquakes
and floods and all sorts of ways that people can get killed. It is, all in all, a very dangerous place,
and although the dying sometimes looks quite dreadful, and everyone gets quite caught up in the
drama, I really must tell you that oddly enough, death is not really a problem for those of us who
die, it is only the ones who live that suffer.

What do you mean?

Well, in my own recent death, I was smashed under falling rocks. I was a monk, living in the high
mountains. I was really quite surprised when my death happened. An entire hillside came down
right on top of me and I was utterly smashed... or rather I should say that my body was utterly
smashed. My body was in pain for a few moments, but then as I began the return to the Oneness, I
realized that it was a truly wonderful adventure on Earth, and I would love to be able to go there
again.

It sounds like a rather strange adventure, but you seem so full of light and happiness!
Yes it really is delightful. You'll come out of your life with whatever you have put into it. So, if you
put in love and kindness and beauty, then you'll come out with love and kindness and beauty.
Those who put in something less than that... well, they too will come out with whatever they put in.
The more you give, the more you get! It is really wonderful!

But how could you enjoy a place where you got crushed under a pile of rocks?? Are you insane?

Clearly you haven't been there yet! Even a few moments of life on Earth are worth all of the
annoyance and pain. Oh just to feel love.. to give love and to receive love, even for just a
moment... oh that is so amazing... it is beyond words! The sights and sounds and feelings and
fragrances of life are so amazing that it is worth any pain or catastrophe to go there!

As you can tell, I've not been harmed at all by the whole experience, even after being smashed to
death by a whole mountainside... and in fact, rather than being harmed, the whole experience on
Earth was a glorious blessing. If you get caught up in the drama and start to suffer, then just recall
our conversation and recall how happy and whole I am after my adventure on Earth... it is so
wonderful!! Even just a few moments of love, kindness and beauty on Earth are so exquisite that
they are worth any price.

That it! We're on a divine journey to experience and explore Love! And in order to truly have such
experience and exploration, we must encounter a variety of conditions, and see how well we can
bring love, harmony and beauty into every moment, regardless of the situation.

Truly speaking, you are a unique Divine creation, made from the very soil of this Earth in order to
serve a Divine purpose. You have been sent on a Divine mission, a Divine journey, a journey of the
Heart. You will live some number of days, you will have some number of worldly experiences,
opportunities and obstacles. And then, your body will gradually be returned to the soil from which it
was borrowed, and your soul will soar back into the vastness of the unknowable, carrying with it a
message from this life. And what is that message? It is the story of the loving-kindness, generosity
and compassion which you experienced, it is the story of your heart!

The Foundation of Spiritual Progress

To begin to make progress on the spiritual path, there is no specific sacred name nor any specific
cosmology or mythology which is crucial, but rather what is truly crucial is one's trust in, and
dedicated involvement with, a moral code of high ideals such as loving-kindness, compassion and
generosity, ideals which are deeply recognized as being greater and more important than one's
own self. It is this change of viewpoint and act of ego-submission to a greater good which is the
very foundation of spiritual progress.

That is not to say that one should not believe in, and have loving devotion to, a Supreme Deity. But
rather, this means that the most pressing need of those who are beginning a journey on this
spiritual path is to directly experience the pure calm depths of one's own heart and thereby
discover one's own capacity to bring beautiful traits such as loving-kindness, compassion and
generosity into every moment of life. Without loving-kindness, compassion and generosity in one's
life, and without a sense of full submission to something greater than one's own self, one has still
not yet progressed beyond mere animal consciousness.

It is not enough to chant a sacred name, or recite prayers, or perform sacred rituals if one then
turns around and becomes involved in unwholesome acts or unwholesome thoughts such as
anger, hatred or unkindness. Millions and millions of people say prayers and recite sacred verses
every day, yet all too many of them still go out and selfishly cause harm to other people. That's not
the way. They've missed the point. If one's life is not filled with loving-kindness, compassion and
generosity in every moment, consistently working for a greater good, one is merely an animal, and
is not yet truly human.
Whenever one's life is not filled with loving-kindness, compassion and generosity, that unfortunate
condition indicates that something is obscuring or blocking the flow of Divine Presence.... and that
something is the ego. Whenever something obscures the sunlight we see darkness. And similarly,
whenever something obscures or blocks the flow of a divine attribute such as loving-kindness, then
one sees another kind of darkness, which might for example be recognized as anger. The
darkness is not some fundamental quality, but rather it is merely what happens when the light is
obscured. The very foundation of spiritual progress is to get the ego out of the way so that we can
experience life from a new viewpoint, a viewpoint which is not obscured by the ego, and thereby
allow Divine Presence to flow freely through us without obstruction.

The Cause Behind the Cause

From somewhere beyond the beyond, a place which is unknowable to us, the gentle breeze of
Divine Presence is sent to comfort, guide and nourish us all. Where does it come from? Mankind
has offered many names for the Source, but no matter what the name, the wise ones of all ages
and all religions have told us that there is an ultimate Cause of all the worlds, a Cause upon which
our very existence depends, a primordial Cause which remains beyond our senses and far beyond
our complete understanding.

There is an indefinable mysterious power that pervades everything, I feel it though I do not see it. It
is this unseen power which makes itself felt and yet defies all proof, because it is so unlike all that I
perceive through my senses.

Young India, Oct 1928, "Mahatma" M. K. Gandhi

If you do not yet see, or do not yet believe, that there is primordial Cause behind all causes, please
do not be discouraged or frustrated by all this talk about a Cause, but just keep your eyes open for
those times when science and logic and reasoning take their investigation as far as they can
possibly go, yet clearly there is something further, something which remains shrouded in a cloud of
unknowing. At the end of all mankind's searching, at the end of "something further", veiled by a
cloud of unknowing, is the Cause behind all causes.

Everywhere around us are the signs which point toward the Cause, and it is by means of these
signs that we find our most positive proof that there is indeed an ultimate Cause which has brought
all of creation into being, and upon Whom all of the worlds depend.

You, You only, exist.

We pass away, till at last,
our passing is so immense
that You arise: beautiful moment,
in all Your suddenness,
arising in love, or enchanted
in the contraction of work.

To You I belong, however time may

wear me away. From You to You
I go commanded. In between
the garland is hanging in chance; but if You
take it up and up and up: look:
all becomes a festival!
Rainer Maria Rilke, Ahead of All Parting, tr Stephen Mitchell
And in the joyful depths of this grand festival of life, the wise ones have found that there is nothing
enduring, nothing lasting, nothing truly real other than the original Cause.

Your attainment of the goal you wish for is not like a material thing's arriving at a material place.
Neither is it like knowledge leading one to a thing that becomes known, nor like reason obtaining
from that which is rational, nor like the imagination joining with that which it fancies. The goal that
you wish to attain is the realization of your emptiness of all else except the Essence of God.

Secret of Secrets, 'abd al-qadir al-jilani, tr by Tosun Bayrak

When one begins to love, honor and serve a greater good, something which is beyond the
boundaries of one's own ego, all of one's life begins to change. Sharing is good. Serving is good.
Teaching is good. Charity is good. Inspiring one another is good. Loving one another is good. And
in fact it is necessary to love and serve something which has form before one is able to truly love
and serve the Wondrous Source from whom all blessings flow, the Formless One. But, until one
truly loves and honors the essence of The Cause from whom all Divine Presence flows, one's
greatest joy has not yet been experienced.

Master, which is the greatest commandment in the law? Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the
Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and
greatest commandment.

Gospel of Matthew 22:36-38

Embracing the Unknowable One

The human mind, the brain, is largely controlled by the ego, and as such, it's job is to make
distinctions, create boundaries, and divide things into pieces. The ego is that part of the human
mind which divides and separates.

When the separating power of the ego is used to help maintain the well-being and safety of the
human body, then the ego is performing a useful role. But unfortunately that same ego, if left
uncontrolled, tries to divide and separate everything, even those things which are not inherently
separate. All that you can see, all that you can touch, and even the person who is viewing them,
are all contained within the same Great Mystery!

The One Lord is the tree of ambrosial nectar, which bears the ambrosial fruit.
Those who taste the ambrosial fruit remain satisfied with Truth,
they have no doubt or sense of separation - their tongues taste the divine taste.

Sri Guru Granth Sahib (page 421, line 17)

Those who imagine separation from their Lord have thereby created their own thought of
separation, yet in fact there is no separation. All that exists, and all that does not exist, is nothing
more than a mere thought of the nameless, formless One. No matter where you look, no matter
what you discover, it is all the same One, and that One is not divided, yet that One permeates all
that exists and all that does not exist.

He is not separated from us; He is pervading and permeating amongst all.

Sri Guru Granth Sahib

For in him we live and move and have our being.

Acts of the Apostles 17:28

The Supreme Lord of All is far more subtle, far more unknowable than anything which can ever be
comprehended by the human brain. There is no amount of thinking, debating or arguing which will
ever prove the unprovable or know the unknowable. The human mind loves to pretend that it is
capable of knowing about everything, but alas that is not true. How can we ever know The
Unknowable? Of what use is it to try to imagine the form of The Formless? Such pursuits are
nothing but the foolishness of the ego!

No matter where you look, no matter what you see, it all exists because of the same All-Mighty
One. All that exists serves to show us the presence of that One, just as leaves blowing through the
air show us the presence of the winds. We can never fully comprehend the unknowable One. In
our obsessive preoccupation with striving for knowledge, we tend to forget the only thing that really
matters, which is being instruments of Divine Presence. The best that we can do is to simply
accept that there is a Great Mystery, One in whom we live and breathe and have our being,
welcoming into our minds a great cloud of unknowing.

Man loves complexity and calls it knowledge. A great many societies and institutions in the world
which call themselves occult, esoteric and psychic, and by various other names, knowing that
everyone is interested in complexity, cover the truth. Instead of covering the truth with one cover,
they cover it with a thousand covers to make it more interesting. It is just like the customs that were
followed in ancient times, when people came to worship and asked the priest how they should do
it, and he would say, 'How far do you live from the shrine?' And when they said, 'Two miles,' he
answered, 'You must come on foot to the shrine and walk around it a hundred times before you
may enter it.' He gave them a good exercise before they were allowed to come in. Even today, they
do the same thing. When a person says, 'I want to see truth,' but he wishes to look for truth in
complexity, they cover truth under a thousand covers, and then they give him the problem to solve.

Are there not many people interested in the mahatmas of the Himalayas, are there not many
interested in the holy souls in remote places of Persia, many who look for a master in the center of
Australia? Perhaps next year an article will appear declaring that a great soul has been born in
Siberia. What is it all about? It is all the love of complexity, queer notions, strange ideas which do
not lead souls any further.

Sufi Mysticism, Hazrat Inayat Khan

Human debate of the unknowable is nothing more than an amusement of the ego, and amounts to
nothing more that a waste of one's precious moments on this earth. Analysis of that which cannot
be divided or separated is merely human vanity. Our true purpose in life will never be found in
matters which divide or separate or analyze. Such activities are merely the restless chattering of
the human ego. Our true purpose, and the only thing truly worthwhile in life, is to be an instrument
of the Divine Presence, thereby allowing the wondrous Divine Presence to flow freely into this
world.

It is not very important to distinguish between two opposites. What is most important is to
recognize that One which is hiding behind it all... seeing One in all things, in all beings.

The Smiling Forehead, Hazrat Inayat Khan

We must simply accept that there is a Great Mystery, One in whom we live and breathe and have
our being, One whom we acknowledge and gratefully welcome into our understanding enshrouded
within a great cloud of unknowing, a cloud of acceptance, a cloud of certitude. We must stop
wasting precious moments of life following the endless chattering of the divisive ego, analyzing or
pretending to know the Unknowable Mystery, and refocus our daily energies toward being more
suitable instruments of the Divine Presence, bringing love, harmony and beauty into the world in
every moment. Nothing else really matters.

Chapter 7 - Direct Experience

We are blessed with the opportunity to participate in two aspects of life: worldly life and spiritual
life, the outer and the inner, the exoteric and the esoteric, the surface and the depth.

We are instruments of Life, and we have been given the power and ability to choose whether to
enjoy the journey or resist it. In order to enjoy the journey, we each must learn by means of our
own direct experience the glorious benefits of living in harmony with Divine Presence.
The Nature of Religious Experience
We each have a deep inner longing which can only be truly fulfilled through our own direct
experience of Divine Presence, not via opinions or dogma from others. In fact, those who do not
rise above dogma have little or no direct experience of Divine Presence. In order to discover our
purpose in life, we need direct experience, not dogma.

Dogma, traditions and tales of other's lives can be very useful as a first step on the spiritual path,
by helping one to begin to form the high ideals upon which the inner life depends. However, dogma
is merely an introductory step on the spiritual path. Beyond that, the sublime richness of the inner
life cannot be fully discovered until one's own direct experience of Divine Presence supersedes
any further need for such dogma.

When one has direct experience of the awesome wonder of Divine Presence, the dogma then
begins to seem so limited, so shallow, and one's consciousness is filled with a sense of wonder,
awe and gratitude. To find the peace and joy which are our inherent birthright, we can use the
stepping stone of dogma to launch our greater journey into the wondrous depths of Divine
Presence.

The foundation of religious experience is the mystical realization that we, and all that we can
perceive around us, has been created and maintained by an intelligent creative force which is far
beyond our comprehension. Through this creative process, we are all related, and inter-related.
The fabric of one's own life is interwoven with all of creation. We are not the separate and
independent creatures which the ego imagines, but rather we are the interwoven threads of a
majestic tapestry which is being woven by unseen hands. And all around us, if only we will learn to
see and understand, there are signs, proof positive, of the Divine Presence, that wondrous power
which creates, nurtures and permeates all that exists.

We are instruments of Life!

We are the instruments by which, and through which, a wondrously grand plan is unfolding, fresh
and new in every moment, right before our eyes.

We often forget who we are, and begin to act as if the world revolves around our own opinions and
preferences. But that is not the case. Life is not about us. Life itself is not concerned with our
opinions or our preferences. Life is not our servant, but rather we must become sincerely devoted
instruments of Life. In truth, you are a spark of Divinity.

When we live in harmony with the ways of Divine Presence, allowing loving-kindness, generosity
and compassion to flow freely into the world through all that we do and say, then this journey called
life becomes a great pleasure. But when we are not in harmony with the ways of Divine Presence,
and allow ourselves to be ruled by expectations, resistance, hatred or anger, then everything
seems to go wrong and we can find neither lasting peace nor enduring happiness.

In order to enjoy enduring happiness and lasting peace, we must become willing and serviceable
instruments of the Divine Presence, thereby bringing loving-kindness, sympathy, compassion and
generosity into the world though all that we say and all that we do. In being an instrument of Divine
Presence, the purpose of one's life is discovered.

What about poverty and pain and violence?

Everything in this world has its opposite, or more properly stated, everything in this world becomes
recognizable only by means of its presence contrasted with its absence. A shadow, which is often
called darkness, is really nothing more than the absence of light. Without such contrasts, nothing
could be recognized. In this world, we recognize all things by means of their contrasts.
What if all the world was completely white, nothing but brilliant white? What could we see then? If
there were no shadows, no colors, no varying shades, no shadows, then all that we would see is
white and more white, everything would be the same, and without any contrasting colors or
shadows we could not distinguish between one thing and another. In fact, in order to see
something we must have the contrasts, the varying colors, and the shadows.

Hidden things are manifested by their opposites, but as God has no opposite He remains hidden.
God's light has no opposite in the range of creation whereby it may be manifested to view.

Jalaluddin Rumi, translation by Hazrat Inayat Khan

Differences and distinctions are necessary to help us learn, but whenever we become obsessed
with looking at the contrasts and differences among the parts, we fail to see the whole. And when
we are not seeing the whole, we ourselves are not whole either.

We must learn to see clearly, to be aware that absence is only overcome by presence. That is,
darkness, which is merely the absence of light, is only overcome by the presence of light. Similarly,
violence is merely the shadow of peace, or a veil obscruing peace, and that violence will always be
overcome by the presence of peace. Violence is what happens when the natural flow of peace and
tranquility is obscured.

In the beginning, as a place to start, we learn about this world by discovering oposites. But truly
speaking, there are no opposites. There is only the presence of something, or the absence of
something. In order to see more clearly, we must rise beyond the idea of opposites, and see how
the essence of things is being either manifest or obscured.

The idea of opposites keeps us in an illusion.

Sufi Teachings, Hazrat Inayat Khan

To be whole, we must not let the contrasting difference and distinctions be all that we see. We
must also learn to recognize what Light is behind those difference and distinctions. That is, we
must learn to consider all that we see as signs which point toward, and help us to learn about, the
One whose brilliant light of love can overcome any darkness. And, in doing so, we will become
more perfect instruments of Divine Presence.

O Sun, fill our house once more with light!

 Make happy all your friends and blind your foes!

Jalaluddin Rumi, Look This is Love, Annemarie Schimmel

What can we do about suffering?

Suffering is our own personal reaction to a specific situation. In order to ease one's suffering, one's
reaction to the situation must be changed. Suffering is not necessary, and we can put an end to
suffering by shifting our attention to the wonders of Divine Presence which are always available in
the present moment.

There are many sources of pain which should be dealt with, but there is no need to suffer. Pain is
an indication that there is a problem which needs attention, but suffering is always rooted in our
own desires, our own expectations, our own imagination.

When we completely accept the present situation, then the suffering vanishes. The pain may still
be there, but the suffering will be gone. And then, from the clear-sighted vantage point of
acceptance, one may most effectively pursue a remedy for the pain.

For example, one might experience the pain of hunger, and then might begin to become angry or in
some other manner resist the situation. The original hunger pain was bad enough, but when we
resist what is, and become upset or angry, then we have created suffering. A better strategy, rather
than resisting the situation, is to clearly see what is happening, accept the situation which has
already occurred, and take some positive action to remedy the situation.

Why are we not always given what we want?

The world does not revolve around our opinions, our desires or our preferences. There is a grand
plan unfolding, and we are merely the instruments by which that plan comes into fruition. If we live
in harmony with, and in constant remembrance of, the Divine Presence, then we stand on the firm
ground of unwavering contentment and happiness regardless of the turbulence and turmoil of outer
appearances.

When we crave for what we prefer, what we want, and what we think is fitting, we often notice that
sometimes our prayers are answered and sometimes they are not answered. Why is that? The
answer is really very simple. When we ask for something which in harmony with the Divine
Presence, then it comes into being. But when we ask for something that is not in harmony with the
Divine Plan, then it does not come into being.

The path to enduring happiness is to take every step of this grand journey with loving-kindness,
generosity, sympathy, compassion and acceptance. When each step of one's journey is accepted
and enjoyed as yet another act of loving-kindness, another act of beneficence, another act of
compassion, then all of life is filled with the joys of the journey, and the craving for one's own
preferences drops along the wayside, much the same as a child's interest in what was once a
favorite toy will naturally fade and drop away as the child moves into another phase of life.

Many strive for happiness through the fulfillment of worldly desires such as fame, wealth, or
possessions, but none of those will bring enduring peace or lasting happiness. Lasting happiness
is only found in the calm acceptance and awesome enjoyment of the wonders of Divine Presence.

Viewpoint is the Key

The key to enjoying this journey is to view life from the most beneficial viewpoint. If one is standing
in the midst of a dense jungle, there may be a great variety of things to see nearby, but one cannot
see very far. On the other hand, when one climbs to the top of a mountain, far above the trees, the
world looks entirely different. To gain perspective, to see the big picture, one needs a change of
viewpoint.
Anguish and distress are always caused by an unfortunate viewpoint. In order to rise above the
differences and distinctions which bring such anguish and distress, we must change our own
viewpoint. That is to say, it is not the circumstances which cause us suffering, it is our viewpoint
and our subsequent reaction to the situation which causes our own suffering.

To enjoy life and to discover the peace and happiness which are our birthright, we must learn to
see from an elevated point of view. Whenever we cling to the part, and fail to remember the whole,
then there is inevitably great anguish and distress.

How can one explain spiritual progress? What is it? What is it like? Spiritual progress is the
changing of the point of view.

There is only one way to recognize this progress, and that is to see the progress in one's own
outlook on life, to ask oneself the question, 'How do I look at life?' This one can do by not judging
others, but by being only concerned with one's own outlook.

Sufi Mysticism, Hazrat Inayat Khan

The Importance of Intention

It is not merely what we do, but what is really important is why we do something. The greatest
intention, and most beneficial reason to do anything is to be in harmony with, and an instrument of,
Divine Presence.

That which is done with loving-kindness, awareness, generosity and compassion is always in
harmony with Divine Presence, and will always bear beneficial fruit. That which is done with anger,
lack of consideration, selfishness or hatred is not in harmony with Divine Presence, and will always
bring pain and suffering.

Life is a journey, and the quality of our journey is determined by the sincerity and dedication of
each step. We must sincerely strive to assure that each step of our journey is in harmony with the
Divine Presence, bringing beauty, loving-kindness, generosity and compassion into the world.

We must come to the realization of the One Life running through all. To a certain degree we attain
to the realization of unity by contemplation, religion, and prayer. But what is most necessary is
sincerity in our way of life. What we are is all that really matters. Contemplation and meditation
help in this, but our manner of life is what is all important, sincerity in our actions, and living life
practically and not in theory.

Spiritual Liberty, Hazrat Inayat Khan

If we truly intend to experience enduring peace and lasting happiness, then with each and every
step of this grand journey we must always speak and act with the utmost of mercy, with the
greatest of loving-kindness, with selfless generosity, and with the ultimate of beneficence toward all
of creation.

All tragedy of life, all misery and inharmony are caused by one thing and that is lack of
understanding. Lack of understanding comes from lack of penetration. The one who does not see
from the point of view from which he ought to see becomes disappointed because he cannot
understand. It is not for the outer world to help us to understand life better; it is we ourselves who
should help ourselves to understand it better.

The Sufi Message of Hazrat Inayat Khan, The Smiling Forehead

In order to make spiritual progress, we must rise above mere appearances, and discover the glory
and wonder of the One Cause who is behind all causes, the One whose Divine Presence shows us
the way to enduring peace and lasting happiness.

There is only one virtue and only one sin

for a soul on the path:
virtue when he is conscious of God
and sin when he is not.

Abu Hashim Madani

With every step in this wondrous journey, we must, through deliberate intention, allow our thoughts
and deeds to be filled to overflowing with the loving-kindness, generosity and compassion of Divine
Presence.

Living in Harmony with Life

There is no greater futility than trying to resist or struggle against whatever Life has already
brought into being. In order to experience enduring peace and lasting happiness, we must change
our own viewpoint, begin to accept what is, and strive to live in harmony with Divine Presence.

The fundamental laws of this world will always prevail, whether we like it or not. Anguish and
distress will always arise whenever we to try to resist the fundamental laws of nature:

1.) Everything is continually in a process of changing from one form to another form.

Every person, every plant, every animal, and every grain of sand will eventually be transformed
into some completely different form. We cannot stop the process of change, and our happiness
and peace of mind depend upon realizing a viewpoint which welcomes and embraces the changing
forms of Life.

2.) Today's harvest is the result of seeds which were previously planted.

As the old saying goes: If you keep doing what you're doing, you'll keep getting what you're getting.
If you truly want a different harvest in the future, then you must begin to plant some different seeds
in the present moment.

We can choose to live in harmony with the grand principles of Divine Presence, or we can cling to
the troublesome ways of the ego with its self-centered opinions and self-serving preferences. One
path leads to enduring peace and lasting happiness, while the other path leads to anguish and
despair. The choice is our own.

Chapter 8 - The Light Within

We learn our greatest lessons through our own direct experience, and the experience of Divine
Presence is found by simply relaxing into the ever-tranquil embrace of the Light Within.
Finding Divine Presence
Divine Presence is not something to obtain, but rather it is something which is ever-present in the
calm depths of one's own heart. Divine Presence can often be noticed in the occasional quiet gaps
of the ego's chatter. Divine Presence is what remains after the ego is quieted.

Divine Presence is your ever-present companion, it never leaves, it is already present within you in
the depths of your heart, although it may often be totally obscured by the noisy chatter of the ego.

When one fully accepts and welcomes the present moment, free of resistance and expectation, the
ego will gradually become quiet. Without anything to analyze, divide, criticize or resist, the ego has
much less to do, and will therefore become much quieter. Nonetheless, the ego will not entirely
give up, it will continue to try to get you out of your acceptance of the present moment, and try to
get you to return to the "old way" of analyzing, separating, criticizing and resisting. However, if you
simply continue to accept and welcome the wonder and opportunities of the present moment,
without resistance or expectations, the ego will gradually fade and become the humble servant that
it was meant to be, allowing Divine Presence to be the foundation of every moment of life.

What if Divine Presence Tells Me to Do Something Unkind?

It won't! Yes, it is true that the pesky ego will try to get it's own way, and may create many different
kinds of messages in order to get its own way and assure its own survival, but do not be deceived.
The ego doesn't know how to promote truly selfless ideals, and that is the sign by which we can
recognize the work of the ego. Whenever the inner message involves anything other than selfless
ideals of love, harmony and beauty, then you can be certain that it is simply more chatter from the
ego.

From myself I am copper

through You, friend, I am gold.
From myself I'm a stone, but
through You I am a gem.

Jalaluddin Rumi, Look This is Love, Annemarie Schimmel

Every moment of life is a new, fresh opportunity to participate in the wondrous flow of love,
harmony and beauty. We have the freedom to allow this grand flow of loving-kindness, compassion
and generosity to be the foundation of our daily life, bringing peace and calm to every step, or we
can turn our backs on it all, allowing the ego to take over, and thereby set ourselves up for failure,
struggle and unhappiness. When in doubt, do what is most loving, most kind, most compassionate,
and most generous.

Whenever you begin to see your own shadow (the ego), that's positive proof that you're not turned
toward sun (Divine Presence). Turn, face the sun, and rejoice in the glorious radiance. Behold, you
are a spark of Divinity.

The messages of Divine Presence will always involve selfless ideals such as Loving-Kindness,
Compassion, Joyfulness, Generosity, and Even-Mindedness. Whenever you hear anything else,
simply dismiss it as the ego's chatter.

When you say "Divine Presence" Do You Mean God?

Divine Presence is a wondrous gift which we are given, fresh and new in every moment. Divine
Presence is not the entirety of the vast Source, but rather it is a gift from that Source, a fragment, a
ray of that Light.

Throughout history, mystics of all ages have recognized an underlying trinity in all of existence. For
the Persian mystics, this has often been expressed as the trinity of love, lover and the beloved. For
the Christian mystics the trinity is exemplified as father, son and holy spirit. The essence of the
trinity is that there is a source, a recipient, and a means of connection between those two.

In modern days, a simple example of this fundamental principle of trinity might be radio
communications, in which there is a transmitter, a receiver and an invisible radio signal which
carries information from the transmitter to the receiver, as shown in the following sketch:

radio, signal and receiver

In the mystical concept of trinity, there is always a source, a recipient and the connection between
them. In the illustration above, the radio receiver by itself (without any radio signal being received),
is not capable of producing any useful message. The useful information arrives via the invisible
radio signal.

A simple explanation would be that there is a source (which might be called The Divine, or God),
there is a recipient (which might be called the depth of one's heart, or soul), and there is the
connection between those two (which is manifest as Divine Presence).

Does this mean that one must believe in God or a Source for this process to work? No, the gift of
Divine Presence is always given to everyone, but in order to make use of this precious gift, proper
attunement is necessary. For example, a radio receiver does not need to believe that there is a
transmitter, yet the broadcast continues to arrive just the same. However, if the receiver is not
tuned to the proper frequency, the broadcast will not be properly received. The key here is to
discover that there is such a broadcast, and then strive to tune into the broadcast more clearly day-
by-day.

Oh dear friend please do not spend too much time trying to analyze or criticize this simple
broadcasting metaphor. All that truly matters is that you take the time to discover for yourself, via
your own experience, that deep within the depths of your own heart there is a calm, tranquil, ever-
loving Divine Presence which is available in every moment, in every situation.

Spirituality is not necessarily intellectuality, nor is it orthodoxy or asceticism. Orthodox, ascetic or

intellectual pursuit after truth – all these are the ways people have taken in order to reach a
spiritual goal, but the way is not the goal. If there is a definition of spirituality it is the tuning of the
heart.

The Smiling Forehead, Hazrat Inayat Khan

The divine message of love, harmony and beauty is being offered to every person in every
moment. However, if one is not properly attuned, the message will not be heard clearly.
Fortunately, whenever anyone is ready and willing to become attuned to the Divine Presence, then
one will discover through direct experience that there truly is something deep within which brings
great peace and happiness into all of life. It often seems that with each step that one take toward
Divine Presence, it takes ten steps toward us, rushing to greet us, filling us with miraculous
serenity, day-by-day becoming an ever-greater influence in every aspect of life.

How Can We Recognize Divine Presence?

candle glowThe brilliance of the candleholder is not its own brilliance. The brilliance comes from
the light within.

When one allows the Divine Presence to flow into, and radiate from, one's own life, the whole
world is changed. Have you ever met someone who seemed to radiate beneficent qualities such as
beauty or grace? That mysterious quality was Divine Presence.
Without Divine Presence, we are nothing more than lumps of clay. The beautiful qualities which we
admire in people are simply the out-pouring of Divine Presence, and you too have been given
those same gifts, yet they will remain hidden until you let them shine out into the world.

Notice the beautiful flame burning in the heart of each of these photographs:

heart flame 1

One might be tempted to say that such people are special, or that they each possess something
unique. But in fact, when we look at the situation from a broader viewpoint, we discover that the
radiance which we've seen in each of them is actually a reflection from One Light, and it is a gift
which we too are being given.

heart flame 2

There is One Light which is reflected in all!

Allah is the light of the heavens and the earth; a likeness of His light is as a niche in which is a
lamp, the lamp is in a glass, (and) the glass is as it were a brightly shining star, lit from a blessed
olive-tree, neither eastern nor western, the oil whereof almost gives light though fire touch it not--
light upon light-- Allah guides to His light whom He pleases.

Qur'an, sura al-nur (24:35)

It is the birthright and ultimate experience for each one of us to allow the wondrous light of Divine
Presence to be reflected into the world through the manner in which we live our own life.

Let the beauty we love be what we do.

Jalaluddin Rumi, Essential Rumi, Coleman Barks

You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden; nor does anyone light a lamp
and put it under a basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. Let
your light shine into the world in such a way that they may see your good works, and thereby
glorify your Creator

Gospel of Matthew 5:14-16

The Divine Light shines ever-brilliantly in the calm depths of your own beautiful heart, and that
same Light shines in the hearts of all beings. Through the presence of that One Light, the Divinity
Within, we are all interconnected. Indeed, the very purpose of our existence is to be willing
instruments of the Divinity Within.

The greatest virtue in this life is to be ever-aware of the Divinity Within, and the greatest loss in this
life is to be unaware of Divinity Within.

Bickering Over Names...

For thousands of years people have been arguing about God, fighting over what name to call the
Almighty One, and bickering over cosmology. Alas, even today such foolishness continues, and it
is utterly pointless. The logical, rational mind can never understand the Divine. Only the heart can
contain such knowledge, never the head. Simply become an instrument of Divine Presence and
allow the Divine Presence shine forth from you! That's all that really matters.
Names are merely pointers which direct our attention toward something. Names are not that which
is pointed to, names are simply metaphors which help to bring something to mind. Bickering about
names is not beneficial, all that truly matters is that we ourselves are, in each and every moment,
bringing into the world the beauty that we love, an unobstructed flow of Divine Presence.

We can see certain signs and have certain experiences which point toward a Creator, but try as we
may, we can never fully comprehend the Creator. Could an ant comprehend nuclear physics?
Rather than trying comprehend the incomprehensible, the best use of our fleeting moments on this
planet is to allow ourselves to be instruments of Love, Harmony and Beauty.

Mankind has pursued innumerable paths leading toward God, yet on every path one arrives at a
point where the human mind can no longer follow the trail, and the trail toward God simply
disappears into an impenetrable cloud of unknowing.

It is certainly very useful to have as one's highest ideal a well thought-out God-Ideal, an ideal of
perfection, a supremely high ideal toward which one can aspire. However, any name or definition
which human beings create will never be anything more than a partial truth, a limitation, or worse
yet, an obstacle.

The ultimate manner in which to truly experience the Divine is to completely give up trying to name,
define or analyze "That One", and simply recognize with absolute certitude that beyond all the
impenetrable veils of unknowing, there is some Supreme Cause, in whom we live and breath and
have our being, and who has placed the wondrous gift of Divine Presence in the depths of every
heart. Our task in this life is to let that blessed gift flow freely into the world, showering all whom we
encounter with loving-kindness, generosity and compassion.

How Can I Become More Patient?

We can become more patient by being more loving, more generous and more compassionate. Any
lack of patience is always a sign that the self-centered ego is at work creating expectations and
desires. To become more patient, one must rise above the desires, expectations and selfishness of
the ego, allowing the glorious gifts of Divine Presence to flow freely from the calm pure depths of
the heart.

The key to breaking the habitual relapses into unawareness and impatience is to consistently
replace the old, undesired behavior with a new, more desirable behavior. Any habit can be broken
by substituting a new, more desirable behavior.

Each time you catch yourself responding from the self-centered viewpoint of the ego, look at what
has caused this relapse into forgetfulness, seek forgiveness, and resolve to catch yourself even
sooner next time.

The Wonders of Love

When a lover rests in the arms of the beloved, the boundaries of "self" and "other" tend to
disappear, and all that remains are feelings of deep calm and indefinable peace. In order to begin
to soften the ego's harsh boundaries of "self" versus "other", one of the first practices often
recommended for the spiritual seeker is to learn to truly love.

Someone came to the great poet of Persia, Jami, and asked him if he would take him as a pupil
and teach him spiritual truth. And Jami asked, 'Have you ever loved in your life?' He said, 'No,
never'. Jami said, 'Go and love first. Let your heart be tuned, let it be melted first. Then come to
me. Then I will show you the spiritual path'.

Sufi Teachings, Hazrat Inayat Khan

For most of us, in order to conquer this monster called ego, we must first learn to perfect our love
for other human beings, through the trials of both individual relationships and community. And then,
as love blossoms and flourishes through the wondrous scope of human love, one will eventually be
ready to offer the greatest possible love for the Ultimate Source, the One who is manifest in our life
as Divine Presence.

Since the Friend claimed me as His own,

there is no other friendship for me.
When He revealed to me His beauty,
all else that I saw appeared unreal.

Bustan, Sa'di Shirazi

Venturing into the Stillness

As the ego is subdued, and the barriers of self versus other begin to soften, the peace which
surpasses all understanding is gradually discovered deep within. Ironically, the process of seeking
happiness through achievements and possessions in the external world is only needed to prove to
us that without a doubt that is not the right path! The source of true happiness is not found "out
there", but rather it is only found deep within the calm pure depths of one's own heart, the throne of
God, the seat of Divine Presence.

Simply learning to relax into the embrace of tranquility is one of the greatest treasures which one
can ever discover. After all the hunting "out there", you will discover that the most wondrous
treasure has always been with you, obscured by the ego, hidden in the depths of your own
magnificent heart.

Here are some ideas for your own journey into inner space:

Create a place and time for your daily journey into inner space. It doesn't need to be anything
fancy, just a simple place where you can sit comfortably for at least 15 or 20 minutes without any
undue disturbance. Sit in a comfortable position, take a few deep breaths and let your eyes gently
close.

As you gradually relax, just be aware and observe. Don't judge. Just observe. Don't become
attached to any thoughts while you are relaxing. While relaxing, don't be swept away by the river of
thought. Just watch the river of thought with amusement, and notice how the thoughts float along,
coming into your awareness, and then perhaps dissipating or perhaps being replaced by more
chatter. As external sounds arise, just allow them to gradually fade into the background.

babe in armsGradually, as you continue relax, become aware of, or simply imagine, feelings of
being in a safe and tranquil place, resting in the loving embrace of Peace itself, like a contented
babe being held in loving arms.

Become aware of, or imagine, a merciful and beneficent Strength providing all that you truly need,
safeguarding you, watching over you. Satisfied, content, just continue to relax into the embrace of
those loving arms.

Living in Harmony with the Divine

In each moment, we must consciously face a crucial matter of choice:

Do I choose to be an instrument of Divine Presence,

or
Do I choose to be an instrument of my own ego?
When living in harmony with the ways of the One, being an instrument through which Divine
Presence flows freely into the world, all of life unfolds with ease, and happiness abounds. Such a
state of being in harmony with Divine Presence is the direct experience of the condition which has
often been referred to as true essence, purity, buddha-nature or original mind. But no matter which
metaphor we choose to describe the experience, there are really no words which can adequately
describe the ease and happiness which are found in all of life when one is in harmony with the
divine and is allowing the Divine Presence to flow freely through oneself into the world.

Moving Between these Two Worlds

For true happiness, one must be able to move freely back and forth between the activity of the
outer world and the tranquility of the vast stillness within. Without such freedom of movement, one
is simply stuck, and the resulting state of mind will fail to bring any lasting satisfaction or
happiness.

Sadly, all too many people are stuck, deeply mired in either the activity of the external world, or the
activity of their chattering ego, and are unable to experience the deep calm within. True freedom
and happiness will only be found when one is able to move freely and easily between the activity of
the world and the deep inner peace within.

Mastery lies not merely in stilling the mind, but in directing it towards whatever point we desire, in
allowing it to be active as far as we wish, in using it to fulfill our purpose, in causing it to be still
when we want to still it.

In an Eastern Rose Garden, Hazrat Inayat Khan

One's divine birthright of a life of love, harmony and beauty will be fully revealed only when one is
able to freely move back and forth between this world (the physical realm) and that world (the
spiritual realm), moving back and forth somewhat like a pendulum, gathering the glorious fruits of
that world and bringing them to this world, gathering the challenges of this world and allowing them
to dissolve in the vast calm depths of that world. Achieving and maintaining such mental fluidity will
require some daily effort, but the resulting inner peace and worldly mastery are well worth the
effort.

The mind of an average person may be pictured as an unruly horse that jumps and kicks and
throws anyone that tries to ride it. Masters of the world are those who have mastered themselves,
and mastery lies in the control of the mind. If the mind became your obedient servant, the whole
world is at your service.

Githa Series II, Hazrat Inayat Khan (unpublished)

Divine Union
That which is sacred is not made sacred by a specific word or a specific language, or whether it is
a part of this book or that book, but that which is sacred is made sacred by its harmony with Divine
Presence. That which is in harmony with Divine Presence is always sacred. That which is not in
harmony with Divine Presence is not sacred.

Discovering Stillness in the midst of Daily Life

As one learns to accept "what is", rather than resisting the present moment through denial, anxiety
or anger, the process of accepting "what is" opens to doors to the station of calm peace wherein
one truly discovers the peace which is beyond all understanding, the peace within.

All that we need for happiness is already being given to us in every moment, yet all too often we
fail to recognize what we are receiving because of our preoccupation with the restless chattering of
the ego. The only place to ever find lasting happiness is the inner calm, the inner silence, of the
depths of your own heart.

When you pray, go to your inner room, close the door and pray to your Father in secret. And your
Father, who sees in secret, will reward you.

Gospel of Matthew 6:6

The first stage of worship is silence.

Muhammad

Silence is God's first language, everything else is a poor translation. In order to hear that language
we must learn to be still and rest in God.

Invitation to Love, Fr. Thomas Keating

Be still, and know that I am God;

Chapter 9 - Relationships: Human and Divine

We all need love, and we all need relationships, but our deepest needs for love and relationship
will never be fully satisfied by any human relationship.
To find the happiness which is our birthright, we must learn to recognize that human relationships
will always have some imperfections, and that our deepest needs for enduring love and happiness
will only be fully met through a personal relationship with the loving-kindness and inner guidance of
the Light Within, the light of Divine Presence.
Relationship:
We all have a strong instinctual need to pursue a deep, lasting, loving relationship and we all have
an innate need for love, but no matter how many human relationships we may try, human love will
ever be enough. There is no human relationship which will ever be able to totally fill all of our
deepest needs for love. The ultimate source of happiness is not external, it is within you! Seeking
"out there" is not enough, you must turn to the inner life, that still small voice within, the holy spirit,
the spirit of guidance, the wondrous Divine Presence which is the very foundation of your being.

Every soul seeks for happiness, and after pursuing all the objects which for the moment seem to
give happiness, it finds out that nowhere is there perfect happiness except in God.

The Unity of Religious Ideals, Hazrat Inayat Khan

The deep, enduring relationship which we are instinctively seeking, and which is our birthright, is
above and beyond human relationship. In fact, we have an innate need to pursue a deep
relationship with the Divine, a need which is most completely filled when we become joyfully willing
instruments of the Divine Presence, offering the wondrous gifts of love, harmony and beauty to all
whom we encounter.

Deep within every person is a shimmering flame of love, an ultimate fountain of truth, an ever-
present source of inner guidance, which I'll call Divine Presence, but please don't be distracted by
the use of that particular name. Perhaps you may choose to call it The Spirit of Guidance, or
Ruach, or Holy Spirit, or True Nature, or Truth, or Sat Nam, or Ruh, or Buddha-Nature, ... the name
does not really matter, words are only metaphors which help us to recall something. All that truly
matters is that you remember your own true nature and find a way to allow that still small voice of
loving-kindness and guidance deep within you to be the very foundation for every relationship and
every moment of your life. There is no other path to enduring happiness.

Yes, we need human relationships, but human relationships alone are not enough. We also need
an intimate relationship with the inner voice and inner guidance arising from the Divine Presence.
Human relationships can help to meet our human needs, but no human relationship can ever equal
the deep calm, peace and illumination of a personal relationship with the Divine Presence. Yet, all
too often we find ourselves chasing after a more perfect human relationship, imagining that if only
we had a new friend or a new lover, or if he/she was taller, or thinner, or wealthier, or more loving
or more gentle or more appreciative or more supportive, then we would finally be happy.

But, alas, that is all nonsense, it is only the cluttered rambling of the superficial ego. Human
beings, and human relationships, will always be imperfect. As a humorist once wrote:

You have two choices in life: You can stay single and be miserable or get married and wish you
were dead.

H. L. Mencken

Our deepest needs such as our longing for pleasure, affection and esteem can only be reliably
fulfilled through a healthy inner relationship with the Divine Presence. It is certainly true that in the
presence of some people, or in some situations, we more easily experience the joyful serenity of
the Divine Presence. But the wondrous beauty of such moments is not actually dependent upon
that particular person or situation, it is entirely due to your awareness of some shimmering facet of
the Divine Presence during that interaction.

A wife loves her husband not for his own sake, dear, but because of the Self that lives in him.

A husband loves his wife not for her own sake, dear, but because of the Self that lives in her. ...

Everything is loved not for its own sake, dear, but because of the Self that lives in it.

Brihadaranyaka Upanishad, tr by Eknath Easwaran

The love, harmony and beauty which we long for in our life is ever-available in each moment of our
life, and our enjoyment of it is only limited by our own ability to accept and embody the inner gift of
the true Self, the Divine Presence, which constantly enfolds and supports us, even when we do not
acknowledge it.

All of our human relationships will be even more beautiful if we can attune ourselves to the Divine
Presence and carry the wonders of that magnificent presence into each moment of our human
encounters. Rather than expecting to find peace and joy as a result of a specific human
relationship, the greatest beauty will be found when one carries the loving-kindness of Divine
Presence into that relationship. The resulting happiness, peace and satisfaction which you will be
blessed with will be a measure of the flow of Divine Presence which you are giving, not what you
are receiving from another person.

Rather than demanding that life must give to us some certain relationship, or some perfect human
being, we must instead learn to see "How great Thou art!", and strive to simply be instruments of
the ever-present, unlimited flow of Divine Presence, bringing love, harmony and beauty into the
world, and accepting the fact that every human relationship will be, in some way, imperfect, yet
delightful.

The work of the inner life is to make God a reality, so that He is no more an imagination; that this
relationship that man has with God may seem to him more real than any other relationship in this
world; and when this happens, then all relationships, however near and dear, become less binding.
But at the same time, a person does not thus become cold; he becomes more loving. It is the
godless man who is cold, impressed by the selfishness and lovelessness of this world, because he
partakes of those conditions in which he lives. But the one who is in love with God, the one who
has established his relationship with God, his love becomes living; he is no more cold; he fulfills his
duties to those related to him in this world much more than does the godless man.

Every soul seeks for happiness, and after pursuing all the objects which for the moment seem to
give happiness, it finds out that nowhere is there perfect happiness except in God.

The Unity of Religious Ideals, Hazrat Inayat Khan

Accepting Imperfection:
A deep and joyful relationship with one's own inner fountain of Divine Presence, the source of all
loving-kindness and beauty, must be the solid foundation upon which we build all of our human
relationships. One's deepest inner satisfaction, one's need for enduring love, must be fulfilled
through one's on-going personal relationship with the Divine Presence. Then, all human
relationships can be secondary, with no need for any expectation of perfection from any other
person or from any human relationship. Certainly we may strive to perfect ourselves, but we must
avoid falling into the ever-attractive trap of trying to perfect another person, or of expecting another
person to be perfect. We are humans, and our human life has imperfections.

All human relationships are limited by our human foibles, and as such, all human relationships will
have moments which are, from time to time, insufficient, unsatisfactory and perhaps even
downright annoying. But, if we simply respond to the present moment with the love, harmony and
beauty which are our God-given inner gifts, we will easily make it through those moments without
adding further turmoil to the already dire situations.

Whenever you encounter someone else behaving badly, or you find yourself behaving badly, don't
take it personally, it is simply an old, outdated program of the ego being played out in response to
some perceived threat. Learn from it, and turn within to find the solution. Don't tense up and
obscure your heart, but rather, in the midst of problems, breathe calmly, soften your belly, open
your tender heart, and let love help to solve the problem.

All the ugliness in the world can be traced back to turning away from our raw and beautiful heart.

Perfect Love, Imperfect Relationships, John Welwood

Despite our best intentions, each of us is likely to continue to accidently obscure our inner light and
respond to some situation with an old habitual response, but if we remain alert enough, awake
enough, we will eventually be able to catch ourselves in the early stages of such foolishness, and
with a calm deep breath, we can fill our cup with the gifts of Divine Presence, and return to the
wonder of the present moment, infused with the gifts of love, harmony and beauty.

Direct Experience:
To accomplish a task, it is not enough to merely possess the required tools, one must also know
how to use the tools. The tools of the heart are much the same. In the calm inner depths of each
person's heart are all of the relationship tools that will ever needed, but we need to learn, by
means of our own direct experience, how to most appropriately make use those tools. And that is
the role of human relationships. In effect, we are each other's "guinea pigs". The direct experience
gained through our relationships is the way that we learn how to use the tools of the heart.
A deep, intimate relationship with the Divine Presence provides all of the necessary tools as well
as guidance on how to use the tools, and our human relationships offer a direct, experiential way to
learn to successfully use the tools. Have no fear. When your primary relationship is with the Inner
Light, and your human relationships are viewed as secondary extensions of that primary
relationship, then success is assured.

However, if your human relationships begin to obscure your relationship with the inner Light, that
is, if you place more value on your human relationships than your inner relationship, then your
relationships are likely to bring failure and disappointment.

Go within; breathe calmly, soften your belly, open your beautiful heart, and let love show you the
way.

Health and Happiness:

We all want to be healthy and happy, but focusing on the external life and continuing to use the
ego's old, obsolete, reactive programs will never be sufficient to get us there. We need to turn to
the Light within, the inner life, the loving manifestation of the One, found in the glorious depths of
your own heart.

All psychological problems are ultimately spiritual issues— symptoms of disconnection from our
deeper nature.

John Welwood, author of "Perfect Love, Imperfect Relationships"

In fact, many troublesome problems, both physical and mental, are caused when we do not live in
harmony with the depths of our own heart and our own inner life. A great body of contemporary
research clearly shows that all aspects of one's life, mental and physical, are greatly enhanced
when one is happy... and the ultimate of happiness arises only when we turn within and plunge into
the pristine calm depths of the ever-loving heart.

How Can I Believe in Something That I Can't See?

Many people choose to neglect the inner life, God and the gift of Divine Presence, simply because
they do not (yet) notice these powerful influences acting in their daily life. God, and the loving gift of
Divine Presence, are not missing, they are not off in some remote corner of heaven, they are not
absent, they have been with you every moment of your life, simply waiting quietly, in the depths of
your own heart, for you to notice them!

We don't notice these great forces in our daily life due to our own lack of awareness, an
obstruction of our own clarity of vision which leads us to erroneously believe that just because we
do not (yet) see God and the gifts of Divine Presence, then they do not exist.

Without a personal relationship with the inner guidance and loving-kindness of Divine Presence,
we each respond to our daily human relationships based on our own individual habitual patterns
and dysfunctions which were likely learned in childhood, rather than responding with the loving
clarity, kindness and beauty which the Divine Presence offers.

In order to live a life of love, harmony and beauty, we must find a way to open our own eyes to the
reality of the inner gift of Divine Presence, and live our life based on that Divine Presence rather
than living a stressful and unpleasant life based on old conditioned responses and habits.

No one else can open your eyes, ears and feelings to the wonders of this inner gift... you must do it
yourself. We can help one another, but it is entirely up to each individual to choose to either
awaken or remain asleep.
No one else can ever provide the connection that finally puts the soul at ease. We find that
connection when the window of the heart opens, allowing us to bask in the warmth and openness
that is our deepest nature.

Perfect Love, Imperfect Relationships, John Welwood

The God-Ideal:
We can never fully know God, but we can still have an ideal which guides us through our daily life.
Thus, every person must be free to have his/her own conception of God, the highest of all possible
ideals.

The God-ideal has been regarded by different men in different ways. Some have idealized God as
the King of earth and heaven, some have a conception of God as a person. Others think of God as
an abstraction. Some believe in God, others do not, some raise the idea of the Deity to the highest
heaven. Others bring it down to the lowest depths of the earth. Some picture God in paradise,
while others make an idol and worship it...

The Unity of Religious Ideals, Hazrat Inayat Khan

For some of us, it is necessary to use our imagination to create our highest of ideals, the God-
ideal, while for others, the ever-present wonders of life, especially as seen in nature, produce a
God-consciousness which fuels their ideal.

There are two points of view from which one sees the God-ideal. One is the point of view of the
imaginative person, and the other the point of view of the God-conscious. ... One person [believes]
that there is a God, and the other sees God.

The believer, who adorns his God with all that imagination can supply, sees God as all beauty, all
goodness, and as the most merciful and compassionate God, and recognizes Him as the Almighty,
the Supreme Being. He sees in God the true Judge, and he expects one day to receive justice
from Him. He knows that in God he will find at last the perfect love on which he can rely entirely.
He sees in God the Friend to whom he can turn in sorrow and in joy. He calls him his Lord, his
Father, his Mother; and all that is good and beautiful he recognizes as coming from God. In point of
fact he makes an intelligible form of God, that being the only means by which he can see God. And
the believer who has imagined God as high as his imagination permits adores Him, asks His
forgiveness, looks for His help, and hopes one day to attain to Him. He feels that there is someone
nearer to him than anyone else in life, whose mercy is always with him.

The other [point of view is when] a person begins to see all goodness as being the goodness of
God, all the beauty that surrounds him as the divine beauty, he begins by worshipping a visible
God, and as his heart constantly loves and admires the divine beauty in all that he sees, he begins
to see in all that is visible one single vision; all becomes for him the vision of the beauty of God. His
love of beauty increases his capacity to such a degree that great virtues such as tolerance and
forgiveness spring naturally from his heart. Even things that people mostly look upon with
contempt, he views with tolerance. The brotherhood of humanity he does not need to learn, for he
does not see humanity, he sees only God. And as this vision develops, it becomes a divine vision,
which occupies every moment of his life. In nature he sees God, in man he sees His image, and in
art and poetry he sees the dance of God. The waves of the sea bring him the message from
above, and the swaying of the branches in the breeze seems to him a prayer. For him there is a
constant contact with his God. He knows neither horror nor terror, nor any fear. Birth and death to
him are only insignificant changes in life. Life for him is a moving picture, which he loves and
admires, and yet he is free from it all. He is one among all the world. He himself is happy, and he
makes others happy.
Chapter 10 - Cultivating our Ultimate Relationship
Some steps to help to foster a deeper, more vibrant on-going relationship with the radiance, beauty
and loving-kindness of Divine Presence.
Being Present:
In this chapter, we'll look at some tools that can help to open your eyes, ears and heart to the
majesty and wonder of the inner life, the Divine Presence within you.

But first, let's re-examine some of the obstacles to our progress in developing the most important
relationship in our lives, our relationship with Divine Presence.

A great obstacle to the flow of Divine Presence arises whenever we ourselves are not present, that
is, when we are not engaged in the present moment. Our lack of engagement with the present
moment is, in general, due to our own conditioning, our own outdated, habitual responses to life's
situations. Whenever we respond to a situation with a habitual response, we are no longer
responding in harmony with the present moment, and the burden of our old baggage isolates us
from the inner guidance and loving-kindness which is the very solution to every situation.

In order to be effective instruments of Divine Presence, we ourselves must be fully present in each
moment, in each situation, always responding from that fountain of inner guidance and loving-
kindness, not with old habitual responses. All too often, some minor event brings about a major
response, triggered by an old (and often unconsciously recalled) memory of something which
occurred at an earlier time in our life. But that was a different situation, it was a different time.

The subconscious response of the ego is trying to help us find the pleasure, affection and esteem
that we deserve, but it does so by playing over and over some old response to some other
situation from our past. And whenever we respond, consciously or unconsciously, out of our past
conditioning, we are actually responding to some other situation from some other time rather than
responding to the living reality of the present moment.

To enjoy the love, harmony and beauty which are our birthright, we must be fully present, fully
engaged, here and now. We must respond to the needs of present moment as instruments of
Divine Presence, not as servants of our ego's old habits and unconscious reactions. Be here. Be
beautiful. Now.

Being in Control of One's Own Mind:

In order to fully enjoy life, it is necessary to be able to control one's own mind. Unfortunately, all too
many people allow the mind to run uncontrolled, and in doing so the ego is given free reign to
chatter incessantly, leading us astray in ten thousand ways.

Recently I had the opportunity to see a dedicated dog trainer working with a young golden retriever
who was in training to be a guide dog for a blind person. The trainer carefully instructed the dog to
lay down, and then, to test the effectiveness of that instruction, the trainer put a bag of peanuts in
the grass about a foot in front of the dog. Within just a minute or two, a squirrel came running down
a tree and across the grass to get a peanut. The dog was fully alert, watching, constantly aware of
everything going on, yet the dog never moved, never barked, never chased the squirrels. Soon
there were several squirrels, all standing there only a foot in front of the guide dog, all of the
squirrels happily munching on those peanuts. The young guide dog was totally alert, watching it all,
in total control, not giving way to any desire to chase or play with the squirrels, looking so majestic,
noble and serene. It was a beautiful sight. There was such a glorious display of nobility, majesty
and serenity in that exercise of self-control. And we too can be even more noble, majestic and
serene when we practice self-control.

How many of us have such self-control? Can we train our minds to be majestic, noble and serene
in any situation, in the presence of any temptation? If so, then we will have conquered our own
greatest obstacle. If not, then we will be pawns of our own mind, incurring needless mental and
physical suffering due to our own lack of self control.

We can, and must, rise above the old, outdated programming of our own ego. The ego is useful,
and we need the ego, but we do not have to controlled by the ego's inadequate attempts to find, or
compensate for, the pleasure, affection and esteem which we all so deeply need. We can be much
more than mere victims of our own past... we each have the ability live in joyful harmony with the
present moment as an instrument of Divine Presence, bringing love, grace and ease into the world
though our own life, in our own unique way.

Keys to Success and Failure:

That which is in harmony with the Divine Presence will succeed. That which is not in harmony with
the Divine Presence is doomed to failure.

At the moment this chapter is being written, there is a world-wide banking crisis which threatens to
bankrupt entire nations. When we look at the root cause of this crisis, we find that in general the
financial institutions have become greedy and selfish, they are not serving as instruments of Divine
Presence. Those who learn something good from this crisis and become instruments of Divine
Presence will surely be rewarded with success. but, for those who refuse to be instruments of
Divine Presence, their path will not lead to any enduring or satisfying success. It's just that simple.
This great principle of success is just as applicable to industry and commerce and it is to
individuals.

Whether we consider the life of an individual or the existence of a corporation, the same law
applies: that which is in harmony with the Divine Presence will succeed, and that which is not in
harmony with the Divine Presence is doomed to failure.

For example, if a business is so obsessed with monetary goals that it puts monetary profit above
loving-kindness, generosity and compassion, then that enterprise is doomed to eventual failure.

This same fundamental law is true in every situation. It is true for individuals, it is true for
companies, and it is true for governments. In some cases, it is possible for an inharmonious
situation to exist for months or years or even decades, but it cannot endure. Anything which is not
in harmony with the loving beneficence of Divine Presence will ultimately fail.

Living in Harmony with "What Is":

There is no greater futility than trying to resist or struggle against whatever has already come into
being. Our birthright of Divine Presence offers us a life of understanding and ease, but our ego
wants to do things in its own dysfunctional manner.

In order to discover the ease and beauty of enduring peace, we must change our own viewpoint,
live a life founded upon Divine Presence, and accept "what is".

There are fundamental laws of this world which we may not always like, but which will always
prevail, so we may as well learn to accept them. It is utterly pointless, and quite frustrating, to try to
resist these two fundamental laws of nature:

1.) Everything (including you and me) is continually in a process of changing from one form to
another form.

Every person, every plant, every animal, and even every grain of sand will eventually be
transformed into some completely different form. We cannot stop this great on-going process of
change, so we may as well find a viewpoint which welcomes and embraces the changes.

2.) Today's harvest (all that is in our life) is the result of seeds which were previously planted.
If we truly want a different harvest in the future, then we must begin to plant some different seeds
in the present moment. As the old saying goes: If you keep doing what you're doing, you'll keep
getting what you're getting.

Practices:
Now let's move on to some specific daily practices which can help to cultivate a deeper relationship
and sense of union with the Divine Presence.

This inner work, when done with sincerity and dedication, is an effective antidote for the effects of
the undue attention which we tend to pay to the rambling and chattering of the discursive ego.
Inner work, and the discovery of the calm, clear, loving and supporting depths within, brings about
many changes in one's life, often including greater happiness and greater physical well-being.

Daily use of methods such as the following three practices can bring great improvements in the
quality of one's daily life. Please do not be tempted to judge the merit of such practices merely on
the basis of what happens during the course of the practice itself, but rather judge the merit of the
practices on the basis of how the quality your overall daily life is gradually improving over time.

1) Finding Divine Presence in the Wonders of Nature

One of the best ways to learn about Divine Presence is to explore the wonders of nature and allow
the troublesome thoughts of "I", "me" and "mine" to be washed away by the sublime beauty of
nature.

Amidst the wonders of nature, we may ponder questions such as: What is it that makes the flowers
so beautiful? What is it that infuses such endless varieties of life? What is it that gives us such a
sense of peace and tranquility when sitting in a field of wildflowers or along a babbling brook?

The answer to all such questions is the same: all of this beauty and majesty is directly due to
Divine Presence, that wondrous indwelling aspect of the Source which we can all directly
experience in the depths of our own hearts. We most easily experience it in nature, and with some
inner effort, we can learn to experience it in all of life.

Initially we must learn to more clearly see the wonders of nature, then gradually we will discover
that we too are a part of that same wonder, and finally discover the inner gift of Divine Presence
which infuses all of creation.

It is not very important to distinguish between two opposites. What is most important is to
recognize that One which is hiding behind it all... seeing One in all things, in all beings.

The Smiling Forehead, Hazrat Inayat Khan

In Sanskrit there is a beautiful phrase "tat tvam asi" which means "That you are". All of this wonder
is what you are too! There is no greater pleasure than to simply "be", not struggling to be anything
in particular, but simply responding to the opportunities of the moment with loving-kindness and
harmony, bringing body and soul into perfect union.

When you recognize that the absolute beauty within you cannot be tarnished by your flaws, then
this beauty you are can begin to care for the beast you sometimes seem to be. Beauty's touch
begins to soften the beast's gnarly defenses.

Perfect Love, Imperfect Relationships, John Welwood

You are made from and created with the same beauty, the same majesty, the same power which
infuses all of nature. The Divine Presence which infuses all of nature with such wonder and beauty
is infusing you with wonder and beauty too! Every moment of life is an opportunity to be an
instrument of the Divine Presence, bringing love, harmony and beauty onto the world.

Any place is sacred ground, for it can become a place of encounter with the Divine Presence.

A Listening Heart, Brother David Steindl-Rast

2) Finding Divine Presence by Embodying Your Highest Ideals:

God, and the gift of Divine Presence, are so vast that the human mind can never completely know
their full extent. Nonetheless, we can (and should) distill our deepest inner knowledge into a great
personal ideal, an ideal which might be called the God-ideal. If you do not yet have such an ideal,
you can simply use your imagination to create a temporary ideal, which can then be gradually
refined and modified on the basis of your own direct experience.

An ideal is something to hope for and to hold on to, and in the absence of an ideal hope has
nothing to look forward to. It is the lack of idealism which accounts for the present degeneration of
humanity in spite of all the progress it has made in other directions. There are many kinds of
ideals: principles, virtues, objects of devotion; but the greatest and highest of all ideals is the God-
ideal. And when this God-ideal upon which all other ideals are based is lost, then the very notion of
ideal is ignored. Man needs many things in life, but his greatest need is an ideal.

The Unity of Religious Ideals, Hazrat Inayat Khan

That ideal which is the highest and best ideal, the only ideal worth loving, worth worshiping, worth
longing for, worth sacrificing all one has, and worth depending upon during the daylight and
through the darkness of night, is God; and he who has God in his life has all he needs; he who has
not God, he, having all things of this mortal world, is lonely, he is in the wilderness even if he be in
the midst of the crowd. The journey of the [spiritual seeker], therefore, is to God. It is Divine
Knowledge which he seeks, it is the realization of God consciousness which is his goal.

Religious Gatheka 2, Hazrat Inayat Khan (unpublished)

The ideal must be lofty, but cannot be selfish or self-centered. That is, a God-ideal which merely
gives us whatever we want or demand (like some sort of cosmic Santa Claus), is merely a self-
centered idea, more troublesome work of the ego, and is therefore doomed to failure. Remember,
we are servants of God, and our God-ideal must help to vividly portray ways in which we can
actually bring the love, harmony and beauty of Divine Presence into the world on a daily, moment-
by-moment basis.

God, who exists independently of our conception of Him, must be conceived by us for our own
comprehension. To make God intelligible, man must first make his own God. It is on this principle
that the idea of many gods and the custom of idol-worship were based in the ancient religions of
the world. God cannot be two. The God of each is the God of all, but in order to comprehend that
God we each have to make our own God. Some of us seek for justice; we can better seek for God
who is just. Some of us look for beauty; we can best find it in the God of beauty. Some of us seek
for love; we can best find it in the God of mercy and compassion. Some of us wish for strength and
power; we can best find it in the God Almighty. The seeking of every soul in this world is different,
distinct, and peculiar to himself, and he can best attain to it by looking for the object of his search in
God.

The Unity of Religious Ideals, Hazrat Inayat Khan

Daily meditation on the ways in which your highest ideal, the God-ideal, manifests love, harmony
and beauty in this world will gradually lead to the discovery and embodiment of the indwelling
Divine Presence. Such "God-ideal" meditation is a wonderful way to gently conclude each session
of the following guided meditation.

3) Finding Divine Presence through Meditation:

As the mystical poet Rumi wrote:

There is no rest, but in that place where you are alone with God.

Mathnawi, II, v591, Jalaluddin Rumi

In meditation, there is nothing to do, nothing to think about, just relax, being fully awake and
receptive, but not taking any action of your own. Simply relax and absorb the nourishing beauty,
calm and strength of the Unseen.

Meditating on a daily basis can produce great benefits in one's daily life, such as even-
mindedness, greater happiness and better health. Meditating more than once a day, such as once
in early morning and once in the evening, every day, can bring even greater benefits. And
meditation must be an on-going daily activity... it is the accumulated effects of diligently repeated
daily practice which bring about the desired results.

As you continue your daily meditation practice, the silent wonders of love, harmony and beauty,
which at first may have only been wishful thinking or imagination, will gradually become your
constant companions, day and night, in every situation, in every moment, helping you to give the
greatest of gifts to all whom you encounter.

Guided Meditation web page:

To help make such meditation more accessible, I've also created several guided meditations which
are available for free on the Basking in the Light web page, including on-line mp3 recordings of
guided meditations. You can play the guided meditations on-line, or you can put the guided
meditations on a CD or an iPod.

Daily Food:
For the best results, such practices should be done every day. At first, daily spiritual practices may
seem to be a burden, but gradually, as the results become manifest and undeniably wonderful, one
actually begins to hunger for these daily practices and misses them if for some reason they cannot
be performed as usual.

As you begin to directly experience the grace and wonder of Divine Presence in your own life, your
periods of daily practice will become as necessary and enjoyable to your daily life as eating your
daily food. Indeed, these periods of daily spiritual practice are the food which nourishes the soul.
The path to spiritual growth and enduring happiness relies upon day-after-day, consistent daily
spiritual practice.
Human beings are very forgetful, and without our sincere daily practice we fall back into
forgetfulness and the grip of our own troublesome ego. yet, with continual practice, we stay
immersed in God-consciousness, the bliss of Loving Arms, the always-available Divine Presence.

It may be helpful to have a quick "refresher" during the day, some action or thought or word that
helps you to return to your True Self. Laughter and smiles are always helpful... enjoy them more
often!

If in our daily lives we can smile, if we can be peaceful and happy, not only we, but everyone will
profit from it. If we really know how to live, what better way to start the day than with a smile? Our
smile affirms our awareness and determination to live in peace and joy. The source of a true smile
is an awakened mind.

Peace is Every Step, Thich Nhat Hanh

Giving:
Giving is the key to happiness. All that you want to receive, you must give. Want love? Then give
love. Want peace? Then give peace. Want respect? Then give respect. Want support? Then give
support. And in such giving you will find the happiness and fulfillment that you have been longing
for.

Divine Union
The only thing that separates us from the wondrous radiance of the Divine is the obstruction
caused by our own ego. We must find ways to remove the obstruction, and allow the Light to shine
from deep within.

It's really just this simple: There are two aspects to our human life,

1.) There is the wonder of Divine Presence, and

2.) there is our own inane drama which we each create.

That's all there is to it! Everything that happens in our life can be put into one of those two
categories.

We were created for a joyous life, receiving freely and giving freely the wondrous gifts of Divine
Presence, but all too often we become preoccupied with languishing in the midst of our own
drama.

Chapter 11 - Faith and the Spiritual Ideal

Faith is crucial for spiritual progress, yet faith needs to stand on the firm foundation of a vivid and
lofty Spiritual Ideal.
Faith
Faith, or belief in something, is a sense of certitude which is far beyond the mere rational
reasoning processes of the intellect. To understand faith, we need to look beyond the intellect. The
Sanskrit word "shraddha" is often translated as "faith", but a more literal translation is, according to
Eknath Easwaran, "that which is placed in the heart". Now we're gettin' somewhere! Faith is not
something that we can reason out or acquire by intellectual means, because it is a gift, a
beneficent blessing given to us, placed in the depths of the heart, by the grace of a Greater Power.

Indeed, faith is something which we inherently have, it is not something to acquire, but rather it is
something which we only need to recall, something which traditionally one's spiritual teacher would
help a student to "remember" and thereby allow the shimmering inner light of the Divine Presence
to shine forth.
To a mystic, faith is the unique power that works through the whole of creation. He does not mean
by faith a belief in a certain religion or dogma or ceremony or book or teacher; he means trust, a
trust even in the absence of reason.

In an Eastern Rose Garden, Hazrat Inayat Khan

The seed of faith is already within each person, it only needs to be tended, nourished and allowed
to flourish. In the Buddhist texts, faith is described as one of the seven treasures, one of the four
streams of merit, and is the essence which spiritual practice and wisdom nourish:

Faith is the seed,

practice the rain,
and wisdom is my yoke and plough.

Kasi Bharadvaja Sutta

Everyone is looking "out there", but the Divine Spark of Truth is already within each person,
awaiting the nourishing rains of spiritual practices and the life-giving care of right action. Those are
the keys to allowing the seed of faith to flourish... spiritual practices and right action.

The Spiritual-Ideal
Faith must be "faith in something", so what is it that one must have faith in? The answer is that one
must have faith in an ideal which is far greater than one's own self, and a crucial aspect of such a
spiritual ideal is to truly experience awe, wonder and respect for something much greater than
one's own self. Some might describe their ideal with a name such as True Nature, Truth, Beauty,
Grace, Sat Nam, Buddha-Nature, Ruh, Spirit of Guidance, Ruach, Atman, Holy Spirit or God, but
no matter what it is called, one's highest and greatest ideal is a natural response to that Divine
Spark within, a reflection of one's "inner life", and is truly a Spiritual-Ideal.

With faith, one can move mountains. So what mountain shall we move? It is the rock of our own
heart which needs to be cracked open, it is the mountain of our own ego which needs to be
removed from our path. The "inner life", the spiritual life, is far more precious, far more enjoyable
than merely cracking open earthly rocks or moving earthly mountains, and faith, built upon the
foundation of a great ideal is our greatest tool in the spiritual journey.

What is lacking today in the world is idealism. Where does idealism come from? From deep
thought. Today life in general keeps man so busy in his occupation, in his profession, in his work of
everyday life, that he has no time to think deeply and better; he does not find his ideal. Among a
thousand persons there is perhaps one person who has an ideal and knows what ideal he has. All
the others do not know it, they do not have an ideal. Besides, it is not only to have an ideal, but it is
necessary to know the ideal and to attain to the ideal, to develop towards it, to unfold oneself
towards the ideal. It is that in which lies life's fulfillment.

The Smiling Forehead, Hazrat Inayat Khan

Fortunately, the spiritual path has been deeply explored for millennia, and we can learn much from
those who have made great progress and have left us some guidance. Jesus put it this way:" Seek
ye first the kingdom of God, and all these things shall be added unto you." So, there ya have it.
Rather than striving to be anything that merely expresses your own ego, simply strive to be an
instrument of God, living each day in conscious awareness of the Divine Presence which
permeates all things in this world, offering loving-kindness to all, and your very presence will a
healing balm for those who are ready to be healed, and an inspiration for those who are ready to
awaken from their bleary slumber.
But, to seek the kingdom of God and be a willing instrument of that Higher Power requires some
sense of certitude that there in fact is a Higher Power. And so we've come full circle, arriving once
again at this notion of "faith". How do we proceed? In what way can we discover the kingdom
which we long for? What is it that we have faith in? The answer is: we need an ideal. Faith is like a
ladder upon which one can climb to the greatest heights, and one's own Spiritual-Ideal is the very
foundation upon which that faith is supported. Without a Spiritual-Ideal, faith has nothing
substantial to stand upon.

Full knowledge of every aspect of a Higher Power, God, is certainly far beyond our human
reckoning. Try as we may, we cannot possibly understand everything about God. The ultimate
Truth lies beyond our grasp, in (as one author aptly put it) a Cloud of Unknowing. In order to make
spiritual progress, we need an ideal, and the greatest ideal of which the human mind can conceive
is the Spiritual-Ideal, the God-Ideal. This is not to say that God is merely an ideal, but rather that
our only way of understanding the unfathomable immensity and mystery of God is to create our
own personal mental ideal. There is only One God, but each person must be free to have his/her
own unique understanding of God.

Over time, in response to one's spiritual evolution, one's highest spiritual ideal will also change. It is
not that God is changing, but as the heart opens and allows the soul to guide one's life, the
spiritual ideal expands and soars to previously unimaginable heights. With each greater step of
spiritual evolution, one's spiritual ideal also becomes greater.

For absolute faith the first step is the ideal. The next step brings man into the presence of God.

The Art of Being, Hazrat Inayat Khan

Based upon the firm foundation of a lofty and vivid Spiritual-Ideal, faith is the ladder upon which
one can climb, step by step, toward that place of peace and understanding which is often called
the "kingdom of God".

Frankly, when my spiritual teacher first said that all we really know about God is our own personal
"God-ideal", I thought that such an assertion was ridiculous, and struggled against the concept.
However, over the years, I have come to see that while my faith may be directed toward God, that
faith is built entirely upon the foundation of my own personal God-ideal, the highest and greatest
ideal.

Don't take a wooden sword into battle.

Go, find one of steel;
then march forward with joy.

Jalaluddin Rumi, Mathnawi I-714, Rumi Collection, Helminski, p144

The simplicity and presentation style of Inayat Khan are quite inspiring, so here's a link to an article
which may help to further clarify the Spiritual-Ideal, the God-ideal:

The Alchemy of Happiness, Ideal, Hazrat Inayat Khan

A Bit of Doubt Can Bring Great Blessings

Faith is found in two forms: a rather flimsy faith based on the "head", and an enduring faith based
on the "heart".

For many of us, our initial "faith" is often little more than a habit or tradition which we've inherited
from our parents or our culture. Such a flimsy faith, based on mere habit or tradition, is unlikely to
endure, and will often, at some point in life, turn into a state of doubt or disbelief.
Such a state of doubt or disbelief can be a great blessing if one's superficial faith based on habit or
tradition can eventually be replaced by deep heartfelt conviction. That is, it is a great day when the
ephemeral faith of the "head" is replaced by the enduring faith of the "heart".

Sometimes, despite a strong sense of certitude deep in the heart, the intellect of the head can still
create lurking doubts, which in turn can make us feel guilty, insecure or confused. But disbelief is
not necessarily a problem... all that truly matters is what happens after the disbelief.

If one remains mired in disbelief, then life often becomes hopeless and confusing. But when belief
re-emerges, established on a firm foundation in the depths of the heart, then a newfound sense of
optimism, security and well-being permeates all of life. Don't be afraid to ask, to cry out, for what
you really want.

Till the cloud weeps, how should the garden smile?

Till the babe cries, how should the milk begin to flow?

The one-day-old babe knows the way: (its instinct says),

“I will cry, that the kind nurse may come.”

Do not you know that the Nurse of (all) nurses gives no milk gratis without (your) crying?

Mathnawi, V:134-136, Jalaluddin Rumi, tr by R.A. Nicholson

Be patient, and let the cry of the intellect be answered by grace of the heart. Let the heart lead the
head toward understanding. You truly are a spark of the Divine.

Finding Balance
The spiritual journey is often sidetracked by excessive concern about "I", "me" and "mine". The
challenge is to find a suitable balance wherein our physical life is guided and informed by our
spiritual life. When our inner life leads, and the physical life follows that lead, then we find
ourselves in a life of peace, love and understanding. But when the superficial outer life leads, then
the inner life withers, and we fall into turmoil, doubt and confusion.

This body is a tent for the spirit,

an ark for Noah.

Jalaluddin Rumi, Mathnawi III-455, Rumi Daylight, Helminski, p104

The most satisfactory manner of life is to pay much less attention to the physical life, let it be as it
is, and pay much more attention to the spiritual life, striving toward your own Spiritual-Ideal. In
doing so, we're not trying to escape from the physical world, but rather we are merely striving to
end our excessive preoccupation with it.

Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what
ye shall put on. ... Seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things
shall be added unto you.

St Matthew 6:25-33

Reflecting Your Spiritual Ideal

Receiving inspiration from one's highest Spiritual Ideal is a great blessing, but an even greater
blessing will arise when one reflects the gifts of that Spiritual Ideal into the world... and there is no
greater or more enduring gift than Love. So, strive to always remember to reflect love into the
world, no matter what the situation may be. Over time, your Spiritual Ideal will help you to reflect
additional qualities, but in the meantime, simply strive to reflect love.
As one awakens, it is natural to want to help those who appear to be in need, and surely we should
give of our time, food and money, but those are simply the outer gifts. We must also strive to be
fountains of Love, Harmony and Beauty, showering such everlasting inner gifts upon all whom we
encounter. There is no greater joy in life than reflecting the splendor, strength and peace of the
Spiritual Ideal.

Master, which is the great commandment in the law? Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord
thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great
commandment. And the second is like unto it , Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. On these
two commandments hang all the law and the prophets

St Matthew 22:36-40

There is no greater gift than love, yet we often want to give something more, and in the process of
wanting to give more, we can easily stifle the Divine flow of loving-kindness, compassion,
joyfulness and equanimity which we could have been freely giving to all whom we encounter. Love
opens the door to the heart, and allows further gifts to flow more easily.

Sometimes we want to change the outer world, but God has been doing exactly whatever Divine
Wisdom chooses for billions of years, and is unlikely to suddenly find that our ideas are better than
His. We cannot change what God has chosen as the course of life in this world, but we can strive
to be Divine instruments of Love, Harmony and Beauty to all whom we encounter, and thereby
fulfill the very purpose of our life.

We must learn that we can't stop the river, but we can jump in and enjoy the ride. What often
appears to us as a great tragedy is merely a necessary step in the great unfolding of a Divine plan.
Perhaps we can't change the outer world in the ways which we happen to prefer, but we can (and
must) allow ourselves to be changed.

The spiritual journey is an inner quest to allow one's own viewpoint to change, to learn to see with
new eyes and hear with new ears by allowing the loving-kindness and understanding of the soul to
guide and inspire the activity of the body. That is, one must let the heart lead the head, thereby
uniting the outer with the inner, the wedding of body and soul.

We often pretend that we're quite powerful, but in fact we are at the mercy of Divine Grace in every
moment of this life. Without the Great Breath flowing trough us, our little breath will cease to exist.
We are so utterly dependent, so fragile, so helpless, yet within us, and flowing though us, is a
Divine Spark which infuses all of life with wonder and glory. That is your true identity... you are a
unique and splendid ray of the Divine Light.

Everything that happens in this life is part of a grand plan which is far beyond anything we can
comprehend. Yet, by becoming willing instruments of Love, Harmony and Beauty, we create an
atmosphere, a "space", for grace to help us, to guide us, and thereby help all those around us, to
be all that we can be.

As far as inner transformation is concerned, there is nothing you can do about it. You cannot
transform yourself, and you certainly cannot transform your partner or anybody else. All you can do
is create a space for transformation to happen, for grace and love to enter.

Eckhart Tolle, The Power of Now, p131

On this journey through life, let the divine inner knowing of the heart (rather than the worldly turmoil
of the head) be your guide.

May your Spiritual Ideal become grander, greater, more magnificent, more powerful, more
inspiring, more deeply cherished and more exquisitely reflected into the world with each passin
Chapter 12 - Conclusion

You are a spark of Divinity! That is your true nature. The only thing that can separate us from the
wondrous radiance of the Divine is the obstruction caused by our own misguided ego.

To find enduring happiness and satisfaction, one must remove the obstruction, and allow the Light
to freely shine from within. To remove the obstruction, one must allow the loving-kindness and
understanding of the soul to guide and inspire the activity of the body. Let the depth of the heart
lead, and let the head follow.

All too often we become excessively preoccupied with our own ego’s self-inflicted drama, but we
were created for a joyous life, basking in the wondrous gifts of Divine Presence. If you truly want
meaningful change in your life, then you yourself must change.

It's really just this simple:

We can spend our life either…

Enjoying the wondrous gifts of our True Nature,

or

Bumbling along in the unsatisfactory drama of the ego.

That's it! Those are our choices!

Now it’s time to decide for yourself…

Which do you choose?